With a Stroke, Discerning 'Mimic' from 'Chameleon' Can Save a Life

This is so stunningly simple, you get one of these sixteen objective diagnosis possibilities working in your hospital.
http://www.empr.com/with-a-stroke-discerning-mimic-from-chameleon-can-save-a-life/article/286143/#
The presentation of stroke can be complex, characterized by both false positives and false negatives. In the article "Strokes: Mimics and Chameleons" Fernandes et al address stroke-related diagnostic challenges.¹ "Mimics" (false positives)—ie, non-stroke conditions that present with symptoms similar to stroke—account for up to 25% of suspected stroke presentations. A "chameleon" is a stroke that masquerades as a different disease state (false negative);¹ indeed, a "seemingly infinite number" of ostensibly different clinical syndromes can turn out to be stroke.²
Despite the availability of measurement scales such as the Face, Arm, Speech, Time (FAST) score,³ or the Recognition of Stroke in the Emergency Room (ROSIER),⁴ diagnosis can remain elusive.¹ Moreover, sophisticated imaging techniques—eg, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) and brain computed tomography (CT)—are sensitive and specific for diagnosing stroke, but their utility declines with time following stroke onset. Therefore, the authors recommend clinical history and examination as the "reference standard," supported by brain imaging for avoiding both mimics and chameleons.

More at link.