Table 1.

Differential diagnoses in a patient presenting with asthmalike symptoms

Condition	Associated Signs and Symptoms
Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis	Infiltrates, mucus plugging, bronchiectasis, elevated serum total IgE, and sensitization to Aspergillus (either skin testing or by specific IgE)
Bronchiectasis	Productive cough, history of recurrent pulmonary infections
Carcinoid syndrome	Episodic flushing, diarrhea, emesis
COPD	History of smoking or biomass exposure (especially in those residing in rural areas), irreversible obstruction on spirometry
Congestive heart failure	Pulmonary crackles, lower extremity edema, jugular venous distension, family or personal history of cardiovascular disease
Eosinophilic bronchitis	Chronic cough, upper airway symptoms, no hyperresponsiveness
Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis	Migratory pulmonary infiltrates, concurrent sinus disease, antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies
Foreign body aspiration	Localized area of wheeze, segmental atelectasis on computed tomography (CT) scan
Interstitial lung disease (ILD)	Infiltrates, reticulation, or frank fibrosis on CT scan; signs and symptoms vary with ILD type; hypersensitivity pneumonitis and cryptogenic organizing pneumonia are types of ILD with atopic association
Postnasal drip	History of rhinitis and sinusitis, but no variable airflow obstruction
Tracheal stenosis/ tracheomalacia	Tracheal narrowing on CT scan, history of intubations
VCD	Sudden onset of dyspnea, prominent inspiratory wheezing, blunting of the inspiratory limb of the flow-volume loop