The Clinical Case Files of House, M.D.: A List of Medical Diagnoses in House MD as a Resource for Medical Education
- 26 mar
- 12 Min. de lectura
Actualizado: hace 3 días

The television series House, M.D., renowned for its complex medical mysteries and the unconventional brilliance of its protagonist, offers a unique window into the world of diagnostic medicine. While fictional, the show presents a vast array of medical conditions, often in their most challenging and atypical presentations. This article explores the potential utility of a comprehensive list of these diagnoses, such as the one meticulously compiled by the House Wiki, for medical students and healthcare professionals seeking exposure to diverse clinical cases.
The provided sources contain a detailed list of medical diagnoses from all eight seasons of House, M.D.. This compilation serves as a readily accessible catalog of diverse medical entities encountered throughout the show's run.
List of Medical Diagnoses in House MD by Season
Below is a list of medical diagnoses presented in House, M.D., organized by season, including the episode number and name:
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
Season 8
Recurring Diagnoses
This section compiles all episodes where the same medical case was diagnosed:
Wilson's disease: Season 1, Episode 6; Season 6, Episode 12
Small-cell lung cancer: Season 1, Episode 18; Season 3, Episode 6
Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura: Season 1, Episode 19; Season 6, Episode 9
Legionellosis: Season 2, Episode 20; Season 2, Episode 21
Hepatoma: Season 2, Episode 8
Hemochromatosis: Season 3, Episode 23; Season 6, Episode 7
Sepsis: Season 2, Episode 8; Season 3, Episode 20
Blastomycosis: Season 5, Episode 20; Season 6, Episode 4
Patent ductus arteriosus: Season 5, Episode 13; Season 8, Episode 18
Melanoma: Season 6, Episode 13; Season 7, Episode 5
Filtered List by Organ System Affected
The following list categorizes the diagnoses by the primary organ system affected, presented in the requested order. Please note that some conditions may involve multiple organ systems. In such cases, the primary or most relevant system for initial presentation or diagnosis in the show was considered.
Immune and Infectious Diseases
• S1, E4: Echovirus 11
• S1, E5: Allergic reaction to copper IUD
• S1, E7: African trypanosomiasis
• S1, E10: Rabies
• S1, E13: Leprosy
• S1, E17: Common variable immunodeficiency disease from interaction of Epstein-Barr virus with anti-seizure medication
• S1, E21: Necrotizing fasciitis
• S2, E3: Psittacosis
• S2, E7: Echinococcosis
• S2, E8: Behcet's disease
• S2, E8: Sepsis
• S2, E9: Clostridium perfringens infection
• S2, E10: Cerebral Malaria
• S2, E14: Brucellosis
• S2, E18: Bubonic plague
• S2, E20: Legionellosis
• S2, E21: Legionellosis (induced)
• S2, E23: Zygomycosis
• S3, E4: Baylisascaris
• S3, E5: Hereditary Angioedema
• S3, E8: Chronic granulomatous disease
• S3, E12: Athlete's foot in nose
• S3, E15: Takayasu's arteritis
• S3, E20: Sepsis from Staphylococcus infection
• S3, E21: Histoplasmosis
• S3, E22: Infection from artery/vein fistula in intestine as the result of ingestion of caustic substance in suicide attempt
• S3, E24: Infected third ostium
• S4, E1: Allergic reaction to antibiotics
• S4, E3: Strongyloides
• S4, E5: Eperythrozoon infection
• S4, E7: Lyme disease
• S4, E8: Lupus
• S4, E9: Measles
• S4, E13: Chagas disease
• S4, E14: Quinine allergy
• S5, E1: Lepromatous leprosy
• S5, E5: Sjögren's syndrome
• S5, E6: Familial Mediterranean fever
• S5, E9: Melioidosis
• S5, E15: Wiskott-Aldrich Syndrome
• S5, E17: Autoimmunity secondary to Doege-Potter syndrome
• S5, E20: Visceral leishmaniasis
• S5, E20: Blastomycosis
• S5, E21: Sporotrichosis
• S5, E22: Sarcoidosis
• S5, E23: Gonorrhea
• S6, E4: Blastomycosis
• S6, E5: Primary Antiphospholipid syndrome
• S6, E7: Vibrio vulnificus
• S6, E9: Henoch-Schönlein Purpura
• S6, E13: Paraneoplastic syndrome secondary to melanoma
• S6, E15: Whipple's disease
• S6, E16: Cerebellar schistosomiasis delayed hypersensitivity allergy
• S6, E19: Henoch-Schönlein Purpura
• S7, E6: Hepatitis C
• S7, E7: Rickettsialpox
• S7, E9: Varicella
• S7, E14: Muckle-Wells syndrome
• S7, E15: Staphylococcus from an abscess
• S7, E15: Antibiotic allergy
• S7, E16: Bartonella
• S7, E18: Q fever
• S7, E22: Entamoeba
• S7, E23: Granulomatosis with polyangiitis
• S8, E1: Mastocytosis
• S8, E5: Kawasaki disease
• S8, E6: Syphilis
• S8, E6: Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction
• S8, E8: Diphtheria
• S8, E10: Ascariasis
• S8, E14: Mucormycosis
• S8, E15: Typhus
• S8, E22: Autoimmune response to an inhaled piece of plant matter
Lymphoreticular & Blood
• S1, E6: Vitamin K deficiency
• S1, E11: Naphthalene poisoning
• S1, E19: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
• S2, E5: Radiation sickness
• S2, E6: Pure red cell aplasia
• S2, E6: Thymoma
• S2, E17: Erdheim-Chester disease
• S2, E22: Vitamin K deficiency caused by Celiac disease
• S3, E1: Scurvy
• S3, E3: Senile amyloidosis
• S3, E9: Erythropoietic protoporphyria
• S3, E10: Langerhans cell histiocytosis
• S3, E14: Vitamin B12 deficiency due to Tapeworm
• S5, E2: Transplanted cancerous stem cells
• S5, E8: Acute promyelocytic leukemia
• S6, E9: Thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura
• S6, E9: Multiple accessory spleens
• S6, E10: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
• S7, E2: Sickle cell trait
• S7, E12: McLeod syndrome causing Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• S7, E19: Lymphosarcoma
• S8, E4: Hyperviscosity syndrome secondary to rheumatoid arthritis
• S8, E11: Tumor lysis syndrome
Cardiovascular
• S1, E9: Arteriovenous malformation
• S1, E14: Congestive heart failure due to drug abuse
• S1, E21: Necrosis due to muscle death due to infarction due to clot due to aneurysm
• S1, E21: Infarction due to clot due to aneurysm
• S3, E15: Takayasu's arteritis
• S3, E16: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia
• S4, E11: Fat embolism from broken toe
• S4, E15: Air embolism
• S5, E13: Patent ductus arteriosus
• S6, E6: Intracranial berry aneurysm of the brain stem
• S6, E11: Hughes-Stovin syndrome
• S6, E22: Fat embolism due to amputation
• S7, E5: Pulmonary embolism secondary to lung cancer and melanoma
• S8, E5: Kawasaki disease
• S8, E12: Giant cell arteritis
• S8, E18: Patent ductus arteriosus
• S8, E19: Atrial myxoma
• S8, E21: Persistent stapedial artery
Skin & Subcutaneous tissue
• S2, E22: Pellagra
• S6, E21: Allergic reaction to tattoo ink
• S7, E5: Hereditary melanoma
• S7, E15: Staphylococcus from an abscess
• S7, E21: Glomus tumor
Musculoskeletal & Connective tissue
• S1, E20: Fulminating osteomyelitis
• S1, E21: Necrosis due to muscle death due to infarction due to clot due to aneurysm
• S3, E7: MERRF syndrome
• S3, E18: Decompression sickness
• S7, E18: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome leading to compulsive hoarding
Nervous & Special Senses
S1, E1: Neurocysticercosis
S1, E2: Subacute sclerosing panencephalitis
S1, E6: Wilson's disease
S1, E8: Organophosphate poisoning
S1, E22: Acute intermittent porphyria
S2, E2: Brain thrombosis
S2, E5: Radiation induced cavernous angioma
S2, E6: Myasthenia gravis
S2, E12: Serotonin syndrome
S2, E16: Tick paralysis
S2, E19: Tuberous sclerosis
S2, E19: Herpes encephalitis
S2, E21: Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis
S3, E7: MERRF syndrome
S3, E11: Spinal Meningioma
S3, E12: Cockroach in ear
S3, E18: Methyl bromide poisoning
S4, E2: Von Hippel-Lindau syndrome
S4, E4: Ergot poisoning
S4, E6: Thallium poisoning
S5, E4: Insertion of large number of pins through skull and into brain shortly after birth
S5, E7: Lead poisoning
S5, E10: Hereditary coproporphyria
S5, E12: Abdominal Epilepsy
S5, E19: Locked-in syndrome secondary to leptospirosis
S6, E4: Phantom limb
S6, E6: Intracranial berry aneurysm of the brain stem
S6, E16: Cerebellar schistosomiasis delayed hypersensitivity allergy
S6, E18: Anabolic steroid abuse accelerated by hemlock poison
S6, E20: Arnold-Chiari malformation
S6, E22: Arachnoid cyst on lower spine
S7, E3: Trauma-related syringomyelia
S7, E8: Marburg multiple sclerosis
S7, E10: Variegate porphyria
S7, E17: Adult Refsum disease
S7, E21: Glomus tumor
S8, E9: Reye's syndrome
S8, E16: Miller Fisher syndrome
S8, E17: Amoebic meningitis
Behavioral Health
• S2, E9: Münchausen syndrome
• S2, E24: Hallucination from trauma
• S4, E1: Delirium tremens
• S5, E23: Vicodin addiction
• S5, E24: Psychosis
• S6, E12: Psychopathy secondary to Wilson's disease
• S7, E4: Side effects of risperidone
• S7, E4: Schizophrenia
• S8, E7: Dissociative identity disorder
• S8, E11: Steroid-induced psychosis
Endocrine
• S1, E16: Cushing's disease
• S2, E1: Pheochromocytoma
• S2, E4: Nesidioblastoma
• S3, E1: Addison's Disease
• S3, E19: Exposure to testosterone causing precocious puberty
• S6, E18: Anabolic steroid abuse accelerated by hemlock poison
• S8, E3: Plummer's disease
• S8, E13: Silent thyroiditis secondary to polyglandular autoimmune syndrome type III
• S8, E20: Hypothyroidism secondary to repeated triclosan and caffeine exposure
Female reproductive
• S4, E1: Contraceptive pill related internal bleeding
• S4, E10: Atypical presentation of breast cancer
• S5, E14: Ectopic endometriosis
• S5, E23: Gonorrhea
Pregnancy, Childbirth, Puerperium
• S3, E12: Chlamydia and Pregnancy
• S3, E17: Maternal mirror syndrome from Non-immune hydrops fetalis due to Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation
• S5, E11: Eclampsia
• S8, E7: Choriocarcinoma
Male reproductive
• S2, E13: Testicular cancer
Renal & Urinary
• S1, E12: Cadmium poisoning
• S4, E12: Floating kidney
• S4, E16: Accidental Amantadine overdose due to kidney injury resulting in multiple organ failure
• S5, E16: Kidney dysfunction secondary to dehydration and contrast-induced nephropathy
• S5, E24: Propylene glycol toxicity
• S7, E15: Benign tumor in the kidney
• S7, E21: Spanish fly (cantharides) poisoning
• S8, E7: Alport syndrome
• S8, E11: Tumor lysis syndrome
Respiratory
S1, E18: Small-cell lung cancer
S3, E6: Small-cell carcinoma
S3, E17: Congenital cystic adenomatoid malformation
S7, E5: Pulmonary embolism secondary to lung cancer and melanoma
S7, E13: Food lodged in the lung
S8, E2: Eosinophilic pneumonitis
Gastrointestinal
• S1, E3: Colchicine poisoning
• S1, E6: Liver cancer
• S1, E15: Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency
• S2, E8: Perforated ulcer
• S2, E8: Liver failure
• S2, E8: Hepatoma
• S2, E11: Hepatocellular adenoma
• S3, E12: Swallowed a magnet
• S3, E13: Bleeding from swallowed toothpick
• S4, E6: Selenium poisoning
• S5, E3: Food Boli Bezoar
• S5, E8: Iron toxicity
• S5, E18: Appendiceal carcinoid
• S5, E24: Pancreatic tumor (Eugene Schwartz)
• S6, E1: Toad egg toxicity
• S6, E8: Crohn's disease
• S6, E15: Private Lives: Whipple's disease
• S7, E1: Toad egg toxicity
The Educational Value of Medical Drama
Shows like House, M.D., while dramatized for entertainment, can serve as an engaging supplementary resource for medical education. By presenting a wide spectrum of diseases in this List of Medical Diagnoses in House MD, often rare or with unusual presentations, the show can spark curiosity and encourage further exploration of medical literature. The "differential diagnosis" process, a central theme in the show, mirrors the critical thinking skills essential for healthcare professionals.
However, it is crucial to remember that these are fictional portrayals. The rapid pace of diagnosis, the often-antagonistic doctor-patient interactions, and the focus on the most obscure possibilities are not representative of everyday medical practice. Nonetheless, the exposure to a variety of medical terms, pathophysiological concepts, and potential clinical manifestations can be beneficial, especially when used in conjunction with traditional learning methods.
For those who believe that learning and entertainment can go hand-in-hand, and for resources that aim to convey complex information in an accessible and engaging manner, we invite you to explore sherringford.org. This platform, inspired by the spirit of insightful deduction and the exploration of intricate details, strives to make learning an enjoyable and enriching experience.
Keywords: List of Medical Diagnoses in House MD



