Differential Diagnosis Quiz: Practice Real-World Clinical Cases
12 case-based questions for diagnostic reasoning practice. Instant results.
Editorial: Review CompletedUpdated Aug 25, 2025
This differential diagnosis quiz helps you practice case reasoning, recognize key findings, and compare likely causes. Work through 12 short scenarios with clear explanations and instant scoring. When you want more variety, try our medical diagnosis quiz, explore urgent scenarios in the emergency medicine quiz, or focus on women's health with an obgyn quiz.
Learning Outcomes
- Analyse clinical scenarios to differentiate possible diagnoses
- Identify critical diagnostic clues and red flags
- Apply systematic frameworks for accurate diagnosis
- Evaluate reasoning processes in patient case assessments
- Demonstrate effective prioritization of potential diagnoses
Cheat Sheet
- Master the VINDICATE Mnemonic - Jumpstart your diagnostic detective work by recalling Vascular, Infectious, Neoplastic, Degenerative, Iatrogenic, Congenital, Autoimmune, Traumatic, and Endocrine causes. This framework keeps you on track so you won't overlook quirky or common culprits.
- Use the VITAMINS ABCDEK Mnemonic - Supercharge your differentials with an expanded checklist covering Trauma, Idiopathic, Neoplasia, Social, Alcohol, Behavioral, Degenerative, Exocrine, Karyotype, and more. It's like a power-up for your brain to scoop up every possible diagnosis.
- Apply the AEIOU-TIPS Trick - When a patient's mental status changes, race through Alcohol, Epilepsy, Infection, Overdose, Uremia, Trauma, Insulin issues, Psychogenic causes, and Stroke. This quick-hit mnemonic means you'll never miss a life-threatening cause in an emergency.
- Explore the IMPASSIVE DICTATING Strategy - Delve into every angle of a complex case by ticking off Immunologic, Metabolic, Psychiatric, Allergic, Structural, Social, Infectious, Vascular, Endocrine, Degenerative, Iatrogenic, Congenital, Traumatic, Autoimmune, Toxic, Idiopathic, Neoplastic, and Genetic factors. This exhaustive list turns you into a diagnostic wizard who leaves no stone unturned.
- Combine Anatomy and Pathophysiology - Fuse structural knowledge with functional insights to map out potential diagnoses from organ systems down to cellular processes. Harmonizing these perspectives sharpens your clinical reasoning like a laser beam.
- Craft Differential Diagnoses with VITAMIN CDE - Organize your thoughts using Vascular, Infectious, Trauma, Autoimmune, Metabolic, Idiopathic, Neoplastic, Congenital, Degenerative, and Endocrine tags. This focused mnemonic helps you juggle multiple hypotheses without confusion.
- Enhance Diagnostics with CHOPPED MINTS - Chop through clinical confusion by listing Congenital, Hematologic, Organ, Psychiatric, Pregnancy, Environmental, Drugs, Metabolic, Infectious, Neoplastic, Trauma, and Surgical factors. It's like a candy assortment of causes ensuring your list is sweetly comprehensive.
- Embrace Social Determinants - Remember that a patient's home environment, stress levels, and support systems can influence disease presentation and outcomes. Incorporating social context turns a good diagnosis into a great, personalized care plan.
- Spot Psychiatric and Behavioral Factors - Don't let mood swings, psychosis, or substance habits hide behind medical masks; psychiatric issues can mimic or magnify physical illnesses. Spotting these clues paves the way for holistic treatments that cover mind and body.
- Prioritize History & Physical Exam - Your stethoscope and pen are your best friends: gathering detailed history and conducting a thorough exam often uncovers the biggest leads. Solid fundamentals guide smarter testing and save precious time in the diagnostic journey.
