Pathognomonic Signs of Communicable Diseases

• Pathognomonic signs or symptoms are unique characteristics of a disease aiding in diagnosis, derived from the Greek "pathognomonikos" meaning skilled in judging diseases.

Common Communicable Diseases:

• AIDS: Manifests through opportunistic infections and malignancies, with T4/CD4 lymphocytes below 200/dl.
• Amoebiasis: Indicated by bloody mucoid stool with a foul, egg-like odor.
• Ascariasis: Recognized by vomiting and expulsion of worms.
• Candidiasis: Characterized by a cheeselike discharge.
• Chicken Pox: Identified by vesiculopapular lesions or rash.
• Cholera: Distinguished by rice-watery stool.
• Dengue/Hemorrhagic Fever: Exhibits Herman's sign, purplish or violaceous red areas with blanched spots less than 1 cm in size, appearing on the extremities.
• Diphtheria: Characterized by a pseudomembrane, a localized inflammatory process with a grayish-white, leathery consistency.
• Enterobiasis: Noted by nocturnal itchiness.
• Filariasis: Leads to Elephantiasis.
• German Measles/Rubella: Marked by Forscheimer's spots, a mild enanthem of petechial lesions.
• Gonorrhea: Identified by a thick purulent greenish or yellowish discharge.
• Herpes Zoster: Lesions follow peripheral nerve pathways.
• Leptospirosis: Causes orange eyes.
• Malaria: Symptoms include fever and chills.
• Measles/Rubeola: Koplik's spots appear as tiny white spots surrounded by a red ring inside the mouth, especially on the buccal mucosa opposite the upper molars.
• Meningitis: Diagnosed by nuchal rigidity, indicated by Kernig's and Brudzinski's signs.
  • Kernig's sign: Severe hamstring stiffness prevents straightening the leg when the hip is flexed at 90 degrees.
  • Brudzinski's sign: Demonstrable symptom of meningitis.
• Mumps: Causes swollen parotid glands.
• Pertussis: Recognized by paroxysmal coughs ending with a whoop.
• Pneumonia: Produces rusty sputum.
• Polio: Results in flaccid paralysis, weakness or paralysis, linked to reduced muscle tone without other obvious cause.
• Rabies: Induces hydrophobia, a morbid fear of water, causing throat muscle spasms that make swallowing painful.
• Scabies: Causes weeping itch.
• Scarlet Fever: Identified by a raspberry tongue.
• Syphilis: Characterized by a painless chancre or ulceration.
• Tetanus: Causes risus sardonicus.
• Tuberculosis: Initially asymptomatic.
• Typhoid Fever: Presents with ladderlike fever, abdominal rose spots, and splenomegaly

Disease Pathognomonic Signs:

• Cytomegalovirus (CMV) Infection: Characterized by cells appearing with an "owl's eye," due to a large nucleus.
• Hypocalcemia: Indicated by:
  • Chvostek sign: Tapping the facial nerve leads to abnormal muscle contraction on the face.
  • Trousseau sign: Occluding the brachial artery leads to wrist spasm.
• Tetanus: Symptoms include risus sardonicus.
• Bulimia nervosa: Noted by chipmunk facies.
• Leprosy: Symptoms include leonine facies, characterized by thickened, folded facial skin.
• Measles: Identified by Koplik's spots, clustered white lesions on the buccal mucosa
• Diphtheria: Characterized by pseudomembranes in the oral cavity
• Pancreatitis: Indicated by:
  • Cullen's sign: Ecchymosis around the umbilicus.
  • Grey-Turner's Sign: Flank ecchymosis.
• Cholera: Characterized by:
  • Rice water stool.
  • Washer woman's hands from dehydration.
• Typhoid Fever: Identified by rose spots.
• Meningitis: Diagnosed by:
  • Kernig's sign.
  • Brudzinski's sign.
• Cholecystitis: Diagnosed by Murphy's sign, where there is hesitation on inspiration if the gall bladder ia palpated.
• Angina Pectoris and MI: Experiencing Levine's sign.
• Patent Ductus Arteriosus: Experiencing a machine-like murmur.
• Parkinson's Disease: A pill-rolling tremor.
• Pericarditis: Pericardial friction rub.
• Hodgkin's Lymphoma & Mononucleosis: Reed-Sternberg Cells (large multi-nucleated cells).
• Rheumatic Fever: Identified by Aschoff bodies.
• Rabies: Induces hydrophobia with Negri bodies at CNS.
• Acute Myelogenous Leukemia: Experiencing Auer rods.
• Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease: Barrel-chested.
• Scarlet Fever & Kawasaki Disease: Exhibiting a strawberry tongue.
• Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE): Identified by a butterfly rash on the face.
• Appendicitis: Diagnosed by:
  • McBurney's point.
  • Rovsing sign.
  • Psoas sign.
• Thrombophlebitis: Showing Homan's sign.
• Pyloric Stenosis: Development of olive-shaped mass.
• Hyperthyroidism: Exophthalmos (protrusion of eyeballs).
• Addison's Disease: Showing bronze-colored skin.
• Cushing's Syndrome: Presenting a buffalo hump at nape.
• Asthma: Wheezing.
• Choking: Holding of throat.
• Down's Syndrome: Single transverse palmar crease.
• Tetralogy of Fallot: Characterized by:
  • Ventricular septal defect.
  • Pulmonary stenosis.
  • Overriding aorta.
  • Right ventricular hypertrophy.
• Glaucoma: Tunnel vision.
• Retinal Detachment: Flashes of light; shadow with curtain across vision.
• Myasthenia Gravis: Ptosis (drooping of eyelids).
• Dengue Fever: Herman's sign (petechial rash).

Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs)

• Herpes Simples Type II: (Male and Female) Symptoms: painful vesicles on genitalia.
• Genital Warts: (Male and Female) Symptoms: warts 1-2mm in diameter.
• Syphilis: (Male and Female) Symptoms: painless chancres.
• Chancroid: (Male and Female) Symptoms: painful chancres.
• Gonorrhea: (Male) Symptoms: Greenish/yellowish, creamy discharge and dysuria.
• Chlamydia: (Male) Symptoms: Milky discharge and dysuria.
• Trichomoniasis: (Female) Symptoms: yellow, itchy, frothy, foul-smelling vaginal discharges.
• Candidiasis: (Female) Symptoms: white cheesy odorless vaginal discharges.

Pathognomonic signs are unique indicators of specific diseases, aiding diagnosis. This includes signs of AIDS, Amoebiasis, Chicken Pox, Cholera, Dengue, Diphtheria and other communicable diseases which have tell-tale signs, like bloody stool in Amoebiasis.