Cardiology — MCQs

A 65-year-old man comes to the physician because of increasing swelling of the legs and face over the past 2 months. He has a history of diastolic heart dysfunction. The liver and spleen are palpable 4 cm below the costal margin. On physical examination, both lower limbs show significant pitting edema extending above the knees and to the pelvic area. Laboratory studies show: Serum Cholesterol 350 mg/dL (<200 mg/dL) Triglycerides 290 mg/dL (35–160 mg/dL) Calcium 8 mg/dL Albumin 2.8 g/dL Urea nitrogen 54 mg/dL Creatinine 2.5 mg/dL Urine Blood 3+ Protein 4+ RBC 15–17/hpf WBC 1–2/hpf RBC casts Many Echocardiography shows concentrically thickened ventricles with diastolic dysfunction. Skeletal survey shows no osteolytic lesions. Which of the following best explains these findings?

A 45-year-old woman from Mexico comes to your office due to recent shortness of breath. The patient states that she has recently started having trouble breathing when she is working out, but this resolves when she rests for a while. She states that she has no history of diabetes, heart disease, or hypertension, but does state that she had several colds when she was growing up that weren't treated with antibiotics. Furthermore, she has arthritis in one of her knees and both wrists. On exam, her vitals are normal, but there is a mid-diastolic rumble present at the apex. What is the best definitive treatment for this patient?

A 76-year-old woman presents to the physician for a follow-up examination. She had a hemoglobin level of 10.5 g/dL last month. She complains of mild dyspnea with exercise. She reports exercising daily for the past 30 years. She is relatively healthy without any significant past medical history. She occasionally takes ibuprofen for knee pain. She denies a prior history of alcohol or tobacco use. Her temperature is 37.1°C (98.8°F), the pulse is 65/min, the respiratory rate is 13/min, and the blood pressure is 115/65 mm Hg. The examination shows no abnormalities. Laboratory studies show: Laboratory test Hemoglobin 10.5 g/dL Mean corpuscular volume 75 μm3 Leukocyte count 6500/mm3 with a normal differential Platelet 400,000/mm3 Serum Iron 35 Total iron-binding capacity 450 μg/dL Ferritin 8 Ca+ 9.0 mg/dL Albumin 3.9 g/dL Urea nitrogen 10 mg/dL Creatinine 0.9 mg/dL Serum protein electrophoresis and immunofixation show a monoclonal protein of 20 g/L (non-IgM). Marrow plasmacytosis is 5%. A skeletal survey shows no abnormalities. In addition to the workup of iron deficiency anemia, which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 23-year-old woman presents to the emergency department after fainting at a baseball game. The patient was using the bathroom and upon standing up, felt a warm and tingling sensation followed by an episode of syncope that lasted for about 5 seconds. While the patient was unconscious, bystanders observed twitching and contractile motions of her upper extremities. When the patient awoke, she recalled falling and the events leading up to her fainting and was not confused. The patient has no other medical diagnoses. Her temperature is 97.7°F (36.5°C), blood pressure is 124/84 mmHg, pulse is 80/min, respirations are 12/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Physical exam is notable for a healthy young woman. Cranial nerves II-XII are grossly intact, and cerebellar function and gait are unremarkable. She has normal strength of her upper and lower extremities. An ECG is notable for normal sinus rhythm with a normal axis and normal voltages. Which of the following is the best next step in management for this patient?

A 34-year-old man presents to the neurology clinic for an appointment after having been referred by his family physician. Four months earlier, he presented with worsening upper limb weakness. His primary complaint at that time was that he was unable to play badminton because of increasing difficulty in moving his shoulders and arms. The weakness later progressed, and he now has spontaneous twitching of his leg and thigh muscles throughout the day. He also feels increasingly fatigued. On physical examination, there is significant atrophy of his arm and thigh muscles. Cranial nerves testing is unremarkable. The pupillary light and accommodation reflexes are both normal. Swallowing, speech, and eye movements are all normal. His cousin had similar symptoms at the age of 19 years old. Which of the following is most likely to also be seen in this patient?

A 43-year-old gentleman with a history of intravenous drug use presents with general fatigue and weakness accompanied by swelling in his ankles and lower legs. Further questions elicit that he has had many infections due to his drug use but has not previously had any cardiac or pulmonary issues. Upon physical examination you notice a holosystolic blowing murmur radiating to the right sternal border, which the patient denies being told about previously. Based on this presentation, what is the most likely cause of the murmur?

A 72-year-old man presents to his physician’s office with complaints of a cough and painful breathing for the last 2 months. He says that he has also observed a 5 kg (11 lb) weight loss during the past month. He is relatively healthy but the sudden change in his health worries him. Another problem that he has been facing is the swelling of his face and arms at unusual times of the day. He says that the swelling is more prominent when he is supine. He has also lately been experiencing difficulty with his vision. He consumes alcohol occasionally and quit smoking last year following a 25-year history of smoking. On examination, the patient is noted to have distended veins in the chest and arms. His jugular veins are distended. Physical examination shows ptosis of the right eye and miosis of the right pupil. His lungs are clear to auscultation. He is sent for an X-ray for further evaluation of his condition. Which of the following is the most likely site for the detection of the nodule on CT scan?

A 62-year-old woman is brought to the physician because of 6 months of progressive weakness in her arms and legs. During this time, she has also had difficulty swallowing and holding her head up. Examination shows pooling of oral secretions. Muscle strength and tone are decreased in the upper extremities. Deep tendon reflexes are 1+ in the right upper and lower extremities, 3+ in the left upper extremity, and 4+ in the left lower extremity. Sensation to light touch, pinprick, and vibration are intact. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 48-year-old woman comes to the physician for the evaluation of 24-hour blood pressure monitoring results. Over the last 3 months, she has had intermittent nausea, decreased appetite, and increasing weakness and fatigue during the day. She has been treated twice for kidney stones within the past year. Her current medications include lisinopril, amlodipine, and furosemide. She is 178 cm (5 ft 10 in) tall and weighs 97 kg (214 lb); BMI is 31 kg/m2. Her blood pressure is 152/98 mm Hg. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Serum studies show: Na+ 141 mEq/L Cl− 101 mEq/L K+ 4.5 mEq/L HCO3− 24 mEq/L Calcium 12.9 mg/dL Creatinine 1.0 mg/dL Twenty-four-hour blood pressure monitoring indicates elevated nocturnal blood pressure. Further evaluation is most likely to show which of the following findings?

A 67-year-old woman comes to the physician for chest tightness, shortness of breath, and lightheadedness. She has experienced these symptoms during the past 2 weeks while climbing stairs but feels better when she sits down. She had a cold 2 weeks ago but has otherwise been well. She appears short of breath. Her respirations are 21/min and blood pressure is 131/85 mmHg. On cardiovascular examination, a systolic ejection murmur is heard best in the third right intercostal space. The lungs are clear to auscultation. Which of the following mechanisms is the most likely cause of this patient's current condition?