Medical malpractice misdiagnosis is the most common form of malpractice litigation brought against doctors. Misdiagnosis can be one of three types: delayed diagnosis, failure to diagnose, and misdiagnosis. Delayed diagnosis cases are cases where the diagnosis is correctly made but not made in a timely manner. Delayed diagnosis cases often result in shortened lifespan due to treatment being delayed. Failure to diagnose cases are situations in which the illness or disease was not diagnosed at all. Misdiagnosed cases are true to their name, a complete misdiagnosis. The doctor diagnosis is for a completely different illness than what is actually wrong with the patient. This can result in secondary illnesses from being treated for a condition that didn't exist while at the same time the real illness is continuing to quietly lurk in the background untreated. Medical misdiagnosis can occur for a variety of reasons. Symptoms of one disease often mimic symptoms of another causing misdiagnosis. Other reasons for misdiagnosis include: Common diseases known better than rare ones; Cost considerations, doctor doesn't perform the costlier tests; Human error involving testing, such as reading the tests, performing the tests, sample mix-ups and contamination of samples. False positives with no second testing; Bias or pre-conception on the part of the physician; and more. Regardless of the reason for the medical malpractice misdiagnosis, an attorney should be consulted for help with medical fees and to prevent future occurrences.