Features of a great imitator:
(1) may be associated with many conditions
(2) may be mistaken for many other disorders
(3) common enough to be encountered with some frequency (not very rare)
Conditions considered great imitators:
(1) syphilis
(2) tuberculosis
(3) deep fungal infections (Coccidioidomycosis, Histoplasmosis, etc)
(4) sarcoidosis
(5) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)
(6) paraneoplastic disorders (as a group)
(7) celiac disease
(8) masked depression and/or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
(9) unrecognized HIV disease
Possible conditions that may be imitators:
(1) neuroborelliosis
(2) enteric bacterial infections (Salmonella, Yersinia, etc)
(3) masked alcoholism or substance abuse
(4) hypothyroidism
(5) Addison's disease
