BACKGROUND: Missed early gastric cancer (MEGC) is prevalent during esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD), which is the first-line recommended strategy for detecting early gastric cancer (EGC). Hence, we explored the risk factors for MEGC and different types of MEGC, based on the endoscopic resected population.
METHODS: This retrospective, case-control study was conducted at Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital (NJDTH). We included patients who were diagnosed with EGC during screening EGD, underwent endoscopic resection, and were confirmed by postoperative pathology at the NJDTH from January 2014 to December 2021, and classified them into different types according to the different root causes of misses. Univariable, multivariable, subgroup and propensity score analyses were used to explore the risk factors for MEGC and different types of MEGC.
RESULTS: A total of 447 patients, comprising 345 with initially detected early gastric cancer (IDEGC) and 102 with MEGC, were included in this study. Larger size (≥ 1 cm) (OR 0.45, 95% CI 0.27-0.74, P = 0.002) and invasion depth of submucosa (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.10-0.69, P = 0.007) were negatively associated with MEGC. Use of sedation (OR 0.32, 95% CI 0.20-0.52, P < 0.001) and longer observation time (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.37-0.96, P = 0.034) exhibited protective effect on MEGC.
CONCLUSIONS: Smaller and more superficial EGC lesions are more susceptible to misdiagnosis. The use of sedation and prolonged observation time during EGD could help reduce the occurrence of MEGC.

BACKGROUND: Recent diagnostic criteria for optic neuritis include T2-hyperintensity of the optic nerve (ON), even without associated contrast enhancement. However, isolated ON-T2-hyperintensity is a nonspecific finding found in any optic neuropathy or severe retinopathy. We applied the 2022 optic neuritis diagnostic criteria to a cohort of patients with noninflammatory optic neuropathy and ON-T2-hyperintensity in at least one eye, to assess the rate of optic neuritis misdiagnosis using these criteria.
METHODS: Retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent brain/orbit MRI with/without contrast between 07/01/2019 and 06/30/2022. Patients with ON-T2-hyperintensity in at least one eye were included. The 2022 optic neuritis diagnostic criteria were applied to patients with noninflammatory optic neuropathies who had an ophthalmologic examination available for review.
RESULTS: Of 150 patients included, 85/150 had compressive optic neuropathy; 32/150 had glaucoma; 12/150 had papilledema; 8/150 had hereditary (3), radiation-induced (3), nutritional (1), traumatic (1) optic neuropathies (none fulfilled the criteria); 13/150 had ischemic optic neuropathy and 4 fulfilled the criteria as definite optic neuritis due to contrast enhancement of the ON head. Seven additional patients would have satisfied the diagnostic criteria if red flags for alternative diagnoses had been overlooked.
CONCLUSIONS: The application of the 2022 optic neuritis diagnostic criteria in patients with noninflammatory optic neuropathy and ON-T2-hyperintensity in at least one ON resulted in misdiagnosis of optic neuritis in only 4 patients because of ON head enhancement, all with nonarteritic anterior ischemic optic neuropathy. Neuro-ophthalmologic evaluation and exclusion of the ON head as a location in the MRI criteria would have prevented optic neuritis misdiagnosis in our study.

Recent attention into sex and gender-based inequities surrounding outcomes for brain health disorders has generated momentum toward addressing what has been called the \"brain health gap.\" Importantly though, \"women\" are not uniform demographic group. In this perspective piece, we discuss misdiagnosis in stroke as an aspect of access and quality of care within brain health. Drawing on narrative data from a mixed methods study of young stroke survivors we suggest that while missed stroke isn\'t only an issue of gender, if we are going to understand gender-based gaps in access and navigation through stroke care, we have to understand how intersections of gender with age, ethnoracial identity, nationality, language, (dis)ability, and other aspects of social identity come together to create affordances as well as biases that contribute to stroke outcomes.

UTIs (urinary tract infections) are common bacterial infections with a non-negligible hospitalization rate. The diagnosis of UTIs remains a challenge for prescribers and a common source of misdiagnosis. This retrospective observational study aimed to evaluate whether recorded diagnosis by clinicians and empirical antibiotic therapy met the EAU (European Association of Urology) guideline in patients hospitalized with UTI. The study was conducted at an internal medicine unit of a tertiary care medical center in Hungary. The diagnosis was assessed based on clinical presentation, physical examination, and laboratory (including microbiological) results, considering all the potential risk factors. Diagnosis was considered misdiagnosis when not confirmed by clinical presentation or clinical signs and symptoms. Evaluation of empirical antibiotic therapy was performed only for confirmed UTIs. Empirical treatment was considered guideline-adherent when complying with the relevant recommendations. Out of 185 patients, 41.6% failed to meet EAU-based UTI diagnosis criteria, of which 27.6% were misdiagnosed and 14.1% were ABU (asymptomatic bacteriuria). The diagnosis of urosepsis recorded at admission (9.7%, 18/185) was not confirmed either by clinical or microbiological tests in five (5/18) cases. The initial empirical therapies for UTI showed a relatively low rate (45.4%) of guideline adherence regarding agent selection. The most common guideline-non-adherent therapies were combinations with metronidazole (16.7%). Dosage appropriateness assessments showed a guideline adherence rate of 36.1%, and underdosing due to high body weight was common (9.3%). Overall (agent, route of administration, dose, duration) guideline adherence was found to be substantially low (10.2%). We found a relatively high rate of misdiagnosed UTIs. Written protocols on the ward may be crucial in reducing misdiagnosis and in optimizing antibiotic use.

UNASSIGNED: Scurvy is an uncommon medical condition that affects children and is caused by an inadequate intake of vitamin C. This study presents the characteristics of patients with scurvy to raise awareness of the diagnostic process in developing countries where laboratory testing for vitamin C levels is often not available.
UNASSIGNED: A retrospective study was performed from period of 2018 to 2023. Data extraction includes patient age, sex, body mass index, constitutional symptoms, musculoskeletal, mucosal, cutaneous symptoms, other accompanying disorders, anemia, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, C-reactive protein, radiographic examination, vitamin C dose, and duration of treatment. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed in this study.
UNASSIGNED: Eighteen cases (17 males, 1 female) of scurvy were referred to our institution. Thirteen of 18 patients were misdiagnosed before referral. The median age at presentation was 4.5 (range, 2-11) years. The average body mass index was 13.93 ± 0.63 kg/m2. Half of patients had healthy weight. All patients presented with lower limb pain and 17 of 18 with refusal to walk. The median onset of diagnosis was 11 (range 4-48) weeks. White line of Frankel was described in all patients. Seven had anemia and 6 of 18 had increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate and/or C-reactive protein levels. Only one patient had ascorbic acid levels evaluation before treatment since it was not readily available in our country. Treatment length varied from 2 weeks to 6 months.
UNASSIGNED: The diagnosis of scurvy is frequently delayed due to its extreme rarity in modern society and its ability to mimic numerous other conditions. In children presenting with limb pain and/or reluctance to walk and pathognomonic radiological findings, physicians must prioritize scurvy as a differential diagnosis. In scurvy, vitamin C supplementation is curative.

OBJECTIVE: To delineate the landscape of diagnostic delay in Chinese axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA), investigate its associated factors, and explore its potential impact on medication modalities.
METHODS: A total of 1295 patients fulfilling the ASAS classification criteria were obtained. Demographic and clinical data were collected through face-to-face interviews, based on predesigned questionnaires and available medical records. Logistic regression analyses under univariate and multivariable model were performed, using the median of diagnostic delay as the cut-off point for group classification. Differences between early- and late-diagnosed groups were subsequently compared by the Pearson chi-square test or Mann-Whitney U test.
RESULTS: Of 1295 axSpA patients, 80.3% were male and the median of disease duration was 8.0 years. The median (IQR) diagnostic delay in Chinese axSpA was 3.0 (1.0 ~ 7.0) years and 24.8% of them reported a history of misdiagnosis. Older age at onset (OR = 0.97, p < .001) and higher education attainment (p = .001) were correlated with early diagnosis of axSpA, whereas coming from less developed areas (p = .002), a history of peripheral arthritis at the time of diagnosis (OR = 1.58, p = .002) and history of misdiagnosis (OR = 1.98, p < .001) increased the risk of diagnostic delay. Oral medication modalities were similar between two groups, but the proportion with no medication ever was higher in the late-diagnosed group (26.5% vs. 20.7%, p = .02).
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings depicted a detailed spectrum of diagnostic delay in Chinese axSpA, verified five associated factors that may help facilitate timely diagnosis of axSpA, and pinpointed that timely medication was unsatisfying, especially in the late diagnosis group.

METHODS: Retrospective study.
OBJECTIVE: To investigate the clinical manifestations of a fragility fracture of the sacrum (FFS) and the factors that may contribute to a misdiagnosis.
BACKGROUND: The number of patients diagnosed with FFS has increased because of extended life expectancy and osteoporosis. Patients with FFS may report nonspecific symptoms, such as back, buttock, groin, and/or leg pain, leading to a misdiagnosis and a delay in definitive diagnosis.
METHODS: Fifty-six patients (13 males and 43 females) with an average age of 80.2±9.2 years admitted to the hospital for FFS between 2006 and 2021 were analyzed retrospectively. The following patient data were collected using medical records: pain regions, a history of trauma, initial diagnoses, and rates of fracture detection using radiography, computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
RESULTS: Forty-one patients presented with low back and/or buttock pain, nine presented with groin pain, and 17 presented with thigh or leg pain. There was no history of trauma in 18 patients (32%). At the initial visit, 27 patients (48%) were diagnosed with sacral or pelvic fragility fractures. In contrast, 29 patients (52%) were initially misdiagnosed with lumbar spine disease (23 patients), hip joint diseases (three patients), and buttock bruises (three patients). Fracture detection rates for FFS were 2% using radiography, 71% using CT, and 93% using MRI. FFS was diagnosed definitively using an MRI with a coronal short tau inversion recovery (STIR) sequence.
CONCLUSIONS: Some patients with FFS have leg pain with no history of trauma and are initially misdiagnosed as having lumbar spine disease, hip joint disease, or simple bruises. When these clinical symptoms are reported, we recommend considering FFS as one of the differential diagnoses and performing lumbar or pelvic MRIs, particularly coronal STIR images, to rule out FFS.

The magnitude of the diagnostic delay of symptomatic uncomplicated diverticular disease (SUDD) is unknown; we aimed to evaluate SUDD diagnostic delay and its risk factors. SUDD patients diagnosed at a tertiary referral centre were retrospectively enrolled (2010-2022). Demographic and clinical data were retrieved. Overall, patient-, and physician-dependant diagnostic delays were assessed. Univariate and multivariate analyses were fitted to identify risk factors for diagnostic delay. Overall, 70 SUDD patients (median age 65 years, IQR 52-74; F:M ratio = 1.6:1) were assessed. The median overall diagnostic delay was 7 months (IQR 2-24), patient-dependant delay was 3 months (IQR 0-15), and physician-dependant delay was 1 month (IQR 0-6). Further, 25% of patients were misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). At multivariate analysis, previous misdiagnosis was a significant risk factor for overall and physician-dependant diagnostic delay (OR 9.99, p = 0.01, and OR 6.46, p = 0.02, respectively). Also, a high educational level (> 13 years) was associated with a greater overall diagnostic delay (OR 8.74 p = 0.02), while previous abdominal surgery was significantly associated to reduced physician-dependant diagnostic delay (OR 0.19 p = 0.04). To conclude, SUDD may be diagnosed late, IBS being the most frequent misdiagnosis. Timely diagnosis is crucial to tackle the burden of SUDD on patients and healthcare.

UNASSIGNED: Multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis remains a problem despite the well-validated McDonald 2017. For proper evaluation of errors in the diagnostic process that lead to misdiagnosis, it is adequate to incorporate patients who are already under regular follow-up at reference centers of demyelinating diseases.
UNASSIGNED: To evaluate multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis in patients who are on follow-up at a reference center of demyelinating diseases in Brazil.
UNASSIGNED: We designed an observational study including patients in regular follow-up, who were diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at our specialized outpatient clinic in the Hospital of Clinics in the University of Sao Paulo, from 1996 to 2021, and were reassessed for misdiagnosis in 2022. We evaluated demographic information, clinical profile, and complementary exams and classified participants as \"established multiple sclerosis,\" \"non-multiple sclerosis, diagnosed,\" and \"non-multiple sclerosis, undiagnosed.\" Failures in the diagnostic process were assessed by the modified Diagnostic Error Evaluation and Research tool.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 201 patients were included. After analysis, 191/201 (95.02%) participants were confirmed as \"established multiple sclerosis,\" 5/201 (2.49%) were defined as \"non-multiple sclerosis, diagnosed,\" and 5/201 (2.49%) were defined as \"non-multiple sclerosis, undiagnosed.\"
UNASSIGNED: Multiple sclerosis misdiagnosis persists in reference centers, emphasizing the need for careful interpretation of clinical findings to prevent errors.

UNASSIGNED: Tracheobronchopathia osteochondroplastica (TO) is a relatively rare benign tracheobronchial disease, which is often misdiagnosed or missed. To date, there is no specific treatment for TO. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical manifestations, imaging features, bronchoscopy results, pathological findings, and diagnostic points of TO.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 33 patients diagnosed with TO were enrolled. Clinical data were collected using retrospective methods in the period from January 2021 and November 2022. Descriptive analysis was used.
UNASSIGNED: Patients included 17 (51.5%) male and 16 (48.5%) female, with a median age of 54 years. The main clinical manifestations included cough in 15 cases, fever in 6 cases, chest tightness in 4 cases, haemoptysis in 3 cases, and chest pain in 4 cases. The time from the onset of symptoms to diagnosis was 1 week to 96 months. Some patients were diagnosed with other lung diseases, including 16 patients with tuberculosis, 2 patients with lung cancer, 3 patients with nontuberculous mycobacteriosis, 3 patients with tuberculous pleurisy, 2 patients with bronchiectasis, and 1 patient with pneumonia. Chest computed tomography (CT) scan demonstrated calcified nodules in 10 (30.3%) patients. In bronchoscopy, entire tracheal involvement was found in 21 (63.6%) patients, 12 (36.4%) patients were found to have involvement of only part of the trachea. The patients were divided into three groups according to the bronchoscopic presentation, the largest proportion was stage II (19/33), followed by stage I (8/33) and stage III (6/33). Histopathological findings showed squamous metaplasia, cartilaginous, and bony tissues.
UNASSIGNED: TO is a slowly progressing disease with non-specific clinical symptoms and a low positive rate of imaging diagnosis, making it susceptible to misdiagnosis and missed diagnosis. The disease needs to be diagnosed by combining imaging features, fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and pathological findings.