Lymph node groups and clinical significance — MCQs

A 4-year-old girl is brought to the physician for a painless lump on her neck. She has no history of serious illness and her vital signs are within normal limits. On examination, there is a firm, 2-cm swelling at the midline just below the level of the hyoid bone. The mass moves cranially when she is asked to protrude her tongue. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 49-year-old woman presents to her physician with complaints of breast swelling and redness of the skin over her right breast for the past 1 month. She also mentions that the skin above her right breast appears to have thickened. She denies any pain or nipple discharge. The past medical history is significant for a total abdominal hysterectomy at 45 years of age. Her last mammogram 1 year ago was negative for any pathologic changes. On examination, the right breast was diffusely erythematous with gross edema and tenderness and appeared larger than the left breast. The right nipple was retracted and the right breast was warmer than the left breast. No localized mass was palpated. Which of the following statements best describes the patient’s most likely condition?

During a surgical procedure to repair an abdominal aortic aneurysm, the surgeon must be careful to avoid injury to which of the following arterial structures that originates near the level of the renal vessels?

A 43-year-old man comes to the physician because of weight loss and swelling on the left side of his neck. Physical examination shows a firm, enlarged left upper cervical lymph node that is immobile. Immunohistochemical testing performed on a biopsy specimen from the lymph node stains positive for cytokeratin. Which of the following is the most likely site of the primary neoplasm in this patient?

A 32-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 3-week history of cough, weight loss, and night sweats. He migrated from Sri Lanka 6 months ago. He appears emaciated. His temperature is 38.1°C (100.5°F). Physical examination shows enlargement of the right supraclavicular lymph node. Chest and abdominal examination show no abnormalities. An interferon-gamma assay is positive. A biopsy specimen of the cervical lymph node is most likely to show the causal organism in which of the following locations?

A 62-year-old woman presents to her physician with a painless breast mass on her left breast for the past 4 months. She mentions that she noticed the swelling suddenly one day and thought it would resolve by itself. Instead, it has been slowly increasing in size. On physical examination of the breasts, the physician notes a single non-tender, hard, and fixed nodule over left breast. An ultrasonogram of the breast shows a solid mass, and a fine-needle aspiration biopsy confirms the mass to be lobular carcinoma of the breast. When the patient asks about her prognosis, the physician says that the prognosis can be best determined after both grading and staging of the tumor. Based on the current diagnostic information, the physician says that they can only grade, but no stage, the neoplasm. Which of the following facts about the neoplasm is currently available to the physician?

Two weeks after undergoing low anterior resection for rectal cancer, a 52-year-old man comes to the physician because of swelling in both feet. He has not had any fever, chills, or shortness of breath. His temperature is 36°C (96.8°F) and pulse is 88/min. Physical examination shows a normal thyroid and no jugular venous distention. Examination of the lower extremities shows bilateral non-pitting edema that extends from the feet to the lower thigh, with deep flexion creases. His skin is warm and dry, and there is no erythema or rash. Microscopic examination of the interstitial space in this patient's lower extremities would be most likely to show the presence of which of the following?

A 76-year-old woman comes to the physician for evaluation of a 3-month history of vulvar itching and pain. She was diagnosed with lichen sclerosus 4 years ago. She has smoked 1 pack of cigarettes daily for 35 years. Physical examination shows a 2.5-cm nodular, ulcerative lesion on the vaginal introitus and left labia minora with surrounding erythema. Punch biopsy shows squamous cell carcinoma. A CT scan of the chest, abdomen, and pelvis shows enlarged lymph nodes concerning for metastatic disease. Which of the following lymph node regions is the most likely primary site of metastasis?

A 28-year-old male presents to his primary care physician with complaints of intermittent abdominal pain and alternating bouts of constipation and diarrhea. His medical chart is not significant for any past medical problems or prior surgeries. He is not prescribed any current medications. Which of the following questions would be the most useful next question in eliciting further history from this patient?

A 59-year-old woman presents to her primary care provider with a 6-month history of progressive left-arm swelling. Two years ago she had a partial mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection for left breast cancer. She was also treated with radiotherapy at the time. Upon further questioning, she denies fever, pain, or skin changes, but reports difficulty with daily tasks because her hand feels heavy and weak. She is bothered by the appearance of her enlarged extremity and has stopped playing tennis. On physical examination, nonpitting edema of the left arm is noted with hyperkeratosis, papillomatosis, and induration of the skin. Limb elevation, exercise, and static compression bandaging are started. If the patient has no improvement, which of the following will be the best next step?