Cardiology — MCQs

A 53-year-old woman presents to the physician with palpitations and increasing swelling of the legs over the past 3 months. During this time, she has also had generalized pruritus. She has dyspnea on exertion. She has no history of asthma. She occasionally takes ibuprofen for chronic headaches she has had for several years. She does not smoke or drink alcohol. The pulse is 92/min and irregular, blood pressure is 115/65 mm Hg, temperature is 36.7°C (98.1°F), and respiratory rate are 16/min. On physical examination, the skin shows papules and linear scratch marks on the limbs and trunk. She has 2+ pitting edema. Auscultation of the heart shows irregular heartbeats. Examination of the lungs shows no abnormalities. The spleen is palpated 5 cm (1.9 in) below the costal margin. No lymphadenopathy is palpated. The results of the laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 14 g/dL Leukocyte count 17,500/mm3 Percent segmented neutrophils 25.5% Lymphocytes 16.5% Eosinophils 52% Basophils 2% Platelet count 285,000/mm3 Echocardiography is consistent with restrictive-pattern cardiomyopathy and shows thickening of the mitral valve and a thrombus in the left ventricular apex. Abdominal ultrasound confirms splenomegaly and shows ascites. Which of the following best explains these findings?

A 78-year-old woman is brought to the physician by her son because of progressive memory loss for the past year. She feels tired and can no longer concentrate on her morning crossword puzzles. She has gained 11.3 kg (25 lb) in the last year. Her father died from complications of Alzheimer disease. She has a history of drinking alcohol excessively but has not consumed alcohol for the past 10 years. Vital signs are within normal limits. She is oriented but has short-term memory deficits. Examination shows a normal gait and delayed relaxation of the achilles reflex bilaterally. Her skin is dry and she has brittle nails. Which of the following is the most likely underlying etiology of this woman’s memory loss?

You are called to a hemodialysis suite. The patient is a 61-year-old man with a history of hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and type-2 diabetes mellitus-induced end-stage renal disease who has required hemodialysis for the past year. His current hemodialysis session is nearing the end when the nurse notices that his blood pressure has dropped to 88/60 mm Hg from his normal of 142/90 mm Hg. The patient denies any shortness of breath or chest pain. He took his daily bisoprolol, metformin, and insulin this morning before coming to the hospital. On examination, the patient’s blood pressure is 92/60 mm Hg, and his heart rate is 119/min. Chest auscultation is unremarkable. What is the most appropriate next management step?

A 14-year-old boy who has been otherwise healthy presents to his doctor complaining of feeling easily winded and light-headed at basketball practice. He has never felt this way before and is frustrated because he is good enough to make varsity this year. He denies smoking, alcohol, or recreational drug use. His mother is very worried because her oldest son and brother had both died suddenly while playing sports despite being otherwise healthy. The transthoracic echocardiogram confirms the suspected diagnosis, which demonstrates a preserved ejection fraction and systolic anterior motion of the mitral valve. The patient is advised that he will need to stay hydrated and avoid intense exercise, and he will likely need an ICD due to his family history. Which of the following physical exam findings is consistent with this patient’s most likely diagnosis?

A 75-year-old gentleman is brought to the ED with confusion that started earlier this morning. His family notes that he was complaining of feeling weak last night and also had a slight tremor at the time. He is afebrile and he has no known chronic medical conditions. Physical exam reveals a cooperative but confused gentleman. His mucous membranes are moist, he has no focal neurological deficits, and his skin turgor is within normal limits. His lab results are notable for: Serum Na+: 123 mEq/L Plasma osmolality: 268 mOsm/kg Urine osmolality: 349 mOsm/kg Urine Na+: 47 mEq/L Which of the following malignancies is most likely to be responsible for this patient's presentation?

A 36-year-old man comes to the clinic for "bumps under his nipples." He is anxious that this could be breast cancer as his sister was just recently diagnosed. Past medical history is unremarkable except for an appendectomy at age 13. He currently works as a personal trainer and reports a diet that consists mainly of lean meat. The patient reports drinking 1-2 beers over the weekends. Physical examination demonstrates a muscular physique with mobile smooth masses below the areola bilaterally with no discharge. What other physical exam finding is most likely to be seen in this individual?

A 59-year-old man comes to the clinic for an annual well-exam. He was lost to follow-up for the past 3 years due to marital issues but reports that he feels fine. The patient reports, “I feel tired but it is probably because I am getting old. I do feel a little feverish today - I think I got a cold.” His past medical history is significant for hypertension that is controlled with hydrochlorothiazide. He reports fatigue, congestion, cough, and night sweats. He denies any sick contacts, recent travel, weight changes, chest pain, or dizziness. His temperature is 101°F (38.3°C), blood pressure is 151/98 mmHg, pulse is 97/min, and respirations are 15/min. His laboratory values are shown below: Hemoglobin: 13.5 g/dL Hematocrit: 41% Leukocyte count: 25,000/mm^3 Segmented neutrophils: 73% Bands: 8% Eosinophils: 1% Basophils: 2% Lymphocytes: 15% Monocytes: 2% Platelet count: 200,000/mm^3 What diagnostic test would be helpful in distinguishing this patient’s condition from pneumonia?

A 55-year-old woman presents to the clinic with joint pain and swelling of her hands. She reports that the pain lasts for about an hour in the morning and improves as her joints 'loosen up'. This condition has been bothering her for about 2 years but has recently been impacting her daily routine. She has not seen a doctor in years. Past medical history is significant for hypertension and she takes hydrochlorothiazide daily. Her grandmother and aunt both had rheumatoid arthritis. She is a current smoker and has smoked a half of a pack of cigarettes a day for the last 20 years. The temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), the blood pressure is 125/85 mm Hg, the respiratory rate is 17/min, and the heart rate is 98/min. Physical examination reveals tender swollen joints in her hands and wrists. Laboratory work is presented below: Hemoglobin 10.7 g/dL Hematocrit 37.5% Leukocyte count 14,000/mm3 Mean corpuscular volume 81.4 μm3 Platelet count 200,000/mm3 Erythrocyte sedimentation rate 45 mm/h Anti-citrullinated protein antibody 55 (normal reference values: < 20) CT findings reveal osteopenia and erosions in the metacarpophalangeal joints. The patient is started on methotrexate. Which of the following is likely to be found in the synovial fluid analysis?

A 67-year-old man with a history of chronic alcoholism presents to the emergency department after a suicide attempt. The patient was found in his apartment by his grandson with wrist lacerations. He was rushed to the emergency department and was resuscitated en route. The patient has a past medical history of ischemic heart disease and depression. His pulse is barely palpable and he is not responding to questions coherently. His temperature is 98.2°F (36.8°C), blood pressure is 107/48 mmHg, pulse is 160/min, respirations are 14/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. After fluid resuscitation and wound care, his blood pressure improves to 127/55 mmHg. On physical exam, the patient complains of numbness surrounding his mouth and pain in the location of the lacerations of his wrists. Which of the following best describes the laboratory findings in this patient?

A 33-year-old man comes to the physician because of right scrotal swelling for the past 2 weeks. He has had mild lower abdominal discomfort for the past 3 weeks. There is no personal or family history of serious illness. He appears healthy. Vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows gynecomastia. There is no inguinal lymphadenopathy. There is a firm nontender nodule over the right testicle. When a light is held behind the scrotum, it does not shine through. When the patient is asked to cough, the nodule does not cause a bulge. The abdomen is soft and nontender. The liver is palpated 2 cm below the right costal margin. Digital rectal examination is unremarkable. Serum alpha-fetoprotein, LDH, and hCG levels are markedly elevated. An x-ray of the chest shows no abnormalities. Ultrasound of the testis shows a cystic 3-cm mass with variable echogenicity. A CT of the abdomen shows multiple hypoattenuating lesions on the liver and retroperitoneal lymph nodes. A radical inguinal orchiectomy with retroperitoneal lymph node dissection is performed. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?