
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions β written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Chickenpox differential diagnosis
Introduction

Overview
Overview
Chickenpox must be differentiated from various rash-causing conditions like Coxsackievirus, Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS), measles, rubella, Rocky mountain spotted fever and syphilis.
Differentiating Chickenpox from other Diseases
Differentiating Chickenpox from other Diseases
Chickenpox must be differentiated from other diseases presenting with diffuse papulovesicular rash in a febrile patient. The various conditions that should be differentiated from chickenpox include:[1][2][3][4][5][6][7]
Common conditions to be differentiated from chickenpox:
| Common Conditions | Features |
|---|---|
| Coxsackievirus |
|
| Stevens-Johnson syndrome |
|
| Kawasaki disease |
|
| Measles |
|
| Syphilis | It commonly presents with gneralized systemic symptoms such as malaise, fatigue, headache and fever. Skin eruptions may be subtle and asymptomatic It is classically described as:
|
| Rubella |
|
| Cytomegalovirus |
|
| Meningococcemia |
|
| Meningitis |
|
| Rocky Mountain spotted fever |
|
| Molluscum contagiosum |
|
| Mononucleosis |
|
Less common conditions to be differentiated from chickenpox:
| Less Common Diseases | Features |
|---|---|
| Atypical measles |
|
| Parvovirus B19 |
|
| Rickettsial pox | |
| Toxic erythema | |
| Monkeypox |
|
| Rat-bite fever | |
| Scarlet fever |
|
Differentiating chickenpox infection in immunocompromised host
Varicella Zoster virus infection is common among immunocompromised patients who are at high risk for other fungal, bacterial, and viral infections. It should be differentiated from the following diseases, which may present as confusion, fever and headache in immunocompromised patients:
| Disease | Differentiating signs and symptoms | Differentiating tests |
|---|---|---|
| CNS lymphoma[8] |
|
|
| Disseminated tuberculosis[9] |
|
|
| Aspergillosis[10] |
|
|
| Cryptococcosis |
|
|
| Chagas disease[11] |
|
|
| CMV infection[12] |
|
|
| HSV infection[13] |
|
|
| Varicella Zoster infection[14] |
|
|
| Brain abscess[15][16] |
|
|
| Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy[17] |
|
Oral lesions to be differentiated from chicken pox:
Oral lesions caused by chickenpox must be differentiated from other diseases presenting with pain and blistering within the mouth (gingivostomatitis and glossitis). The differentials include:
| Disease | Presentation | Risk Factors | Diagnosis | Affected Organ Systems | Important features | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coxsackie virus |
|
|
| |||
| Chicken pox |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Measles |
|
|
|
|
| |
| Herpangina |
|
|
|
|
|
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| Primary herpetic gingivostomatitis[20] |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Oral Candidiasis |
|
|
Localized candidiasis
Invasive candidasis |
|
![]() |
| Disease | Presentation | Risk Factors | Diagnosis | Affected Organ Systems | Important features | Picture |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diseases predominantly affecting the oral cavity | ||||||
| Oral Candidiasis |
|
|
|
Localized candidiasis
Invasive candidasis |
|
![]() |
| Herpes simplex oral lesions |
|
|
|
|
![]() | |
| Aphthous ulcers |
|
|
|
|
|
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| Squamous cell carcinoma |
|
|
![]() | |||
| Leukoplakia |
|
|
|
|
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| Melanoma |
|
|
|
|
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| Fordyce spots |
|
|
|
|
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| Burning mouth syndrome |
|
|
||||
| Torus palatinus |
|
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| Diseases involving oral cavity and other organ systems | ||||||
| Behcet’s disease |
|
|
|
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| Crohn’s disease |
|
|
|
|||
| Agranulocytosis |
|
|
||||
| Syphilis[24] |
|
|
|
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| Coxsackie virus |
|
|
![]() | |||
| Chicken pox |
|
|
|
|
![]() | |
| Measles |
|
|
|
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References
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- β LatgΓ© JP (1999). “Aspergillus fumigatus and aspergillosis”. Clin. Microbiol. Rev. 12 (2): 310β50. PMCΒ 88920. PMIDΒ 10194462.
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- β Tan CS, Koralnik IJ (2010). “Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and other disorders caused by JC virus: clinical features and pathogenesis”. Lancet Neurol. 9 (4): 425β37. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(10)70040-5. PMCΒ 2880524. PMIDΒ 20298966.
- β 18.0 18.1 Feikin DR, Lezotte DC, Hamman RF, Salmon DA, Chen RT, Hoffman RE (2000). “Individual and community risks of measles and pertussis associated with personal exemptions to immunization”. JAMA. 284 (24): 3145β50. PMIDΒ 11135778.
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- β Kolokotronis, A.; Doumas, S. (2006). “Herpes simplex virus infection, with particular reference to the progression and complications of primary herpetic gingivostomatitis”. Clinical Microbiology and Infection. 12 (3): 202β211. doi:10.1111/j.1469-0691.2005.01336.x. ISSNΒ 1198-743X.
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|month=ignored (help) - β AndrΓ¨s E, Zimmer J, Affenberger S, Federici L, Alt M, Maloisel F. (2006). “Idiosyncratic drug-induced agranulocytosis: Update of an old disorder”. Eur J Intern Med. 17 (8): 529β35. Text “pmid 17142169” ignored (help)
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- β “Dermatology Atlas”.
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Michael Maddaleni, B.S. JoΓ£o AndrΓ© Alves Silva, M.D. [2] Aravind Reddy Kothagadi M.B.B.S[3]
















