DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS FOR A POSITIVE ANA

Rheumatologic Diseases

Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (homogenous or rim pattern)

Scleroderma(nucleolar or anticentromere pattern)

Sjogren's Syndrome

Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (speckled pattern)

Drug-induced Lupus

Infectious Etiologies

     Malaria

     Trypanosomiasis

     Schistosomiasis

     Gram-negative Bacteremia

     Klebsiella species

     Escherichia coli

     Salmonella species

     Leprosy

     Tuberculosis

     Infectious Mononucleosis

Pulmonary Diseases

     Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

     Asbestosis

     Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

Hepatic Diseases

     Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

     Viral Hepatitis (chronic active disease)

     Alcoholic Liver Disease

     Autoimmune Hepatitis

End-Stage Renal Disease

Hematologic Diseases

     Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (ITP)

     Hemolytic Anemia

Endocrine Diseases

     Diabetes Mellitus (Insulin Dependent)

     Autoimmune Thyroiditis

Dermatologic Diseases

     Psoriasis (associated with ultraviolet light therapy-resolves with discontinuation of therapy)

     Lichen Planus

     Pemphigus Vulgaris

Medications

Malignancy

     Malignant Melanoma

     Breast Cancer

     Ovarian Carcinoma

     Prostatic Cancer

     Sarcomas

     Leukemia

          Acute Myelocytic

          Acute Lymphocytic

          Chronic Myelogenous

          Chronic Lymphocytic

     Lymphoma

          Hodgkin's Disease

          Burkitts Lymphoma

Nonpathologic Causes

     Female Gender

     Elderly (age greater than 65 years old)

     Pregnancy