Gastroenterology — MCQs

A 65-year-old man presents to his primary care physician for a yearly checkup. He states he feels he has been in good health other than minor fatigue, which he attributes to aging. The patient has a past medical history of hypertension and is currently taking chlorthalidone. He drinks 1 glass of red wine every night. He has lost 5 pounds since his last appointment 4 months ago. His temperature is 99.2°F (37.3°C), blood pressure is 147/98 mmHg, pulse is 80/min, respirations are 14/min, and oxygen saturation is 99% on room air. Physical exam reveals an obese man in no acute distress. Laboratory values are ordered as seen below. Hemoglobin: 9 g/dL Hematocrit: 27% Mean corpuscular volume: 72 µm^3 Leukocyte count: 6,500/mm^3 with normal differential Platelet count: 193,000/mm^3 Serum: Na+: 139 mEq/L Cl-: 101 mEq/L K+: 4.3 mEq/L HCO3-: 25 mEq/L BUN: 20 mg/dL Glucose: 99 mg/dL Creatinine: 1.1 mg/dL Ca2+: 9.0 mg/dL AST: 32 U/L ALT: 20 U/L 25-OH vitamin D: 15 ng/mL Which of the following is the best next step in management?

A 32-year-old woman comes to the physician because of flank pain, myalgia, and reddish discoloration of her urine for the past 2 days. One week ago, she had a fever and a sore throat and was prescribed antibiotics. She is otherwise healthy and has no history of serious illness. Her temperature is 37.9°C (100.2°F), pulse is 70/min, and blood pressure is 128/75 mm Hg. Physical examination shows a soft abdomen and no costovertebral angle tenderness. Examination of the mouth and pharynx shows no abnormalities. There is a faint maculopapular rash over the trunk and extremities. Serum creatinine is 2.4 mg/dL. Urinalysis shows: Protein 2+ Blood 2+ RBC 20–30/hpf WBC 12/hpf Bacteria none Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 41-year-old woman comes to the primary care physician’s office with a 7-day history of headaches, sore throat, diarrhea, fatigue, and low-grade fevers. The patient denies any significant past medical history, recent travel, or recent sick contacts. On review of systems, the patient endorses performing sex acts in exchange for money and recreational drugs over the last several months. You suspect primary HIV infection, but the patient refuses further evaluation. At a follow-up appointment 1 week later, she reports that she had been previously tested for HIV, and it was negative. Physical examination does not reveal any external abnormalities of her genitalia. Her heart and lung sounds are normal on auscultation. Her vital signs show a blood pressure of 123/82 mm Hg, heart rate of 82/min, and a respiratory rate of 16/min. Of the following options, which is the next best step in patient management?

A 46-year-old man presents to the clinic with a 2-week history of fever, fatigue, and coughing up blood. On questioning, he notes that he has also experienced some weight loss over the past 4 months and a change in the color of his urine, with intermittent passage of dark-colored urine during that time. The man does not have a prior history of cough or hemoptysis and has not been in contact with anyone with a chronic cough. The cough was originally productive of rust-colored sputum, but it has now progressed to the coughing up of blood and sputum at least twice daily. Sputum production is approximately 2 spoonfuls per coughing episode. Vital signs include: temperature 36.7°C (98.0°F), respiratory rate 42/min, and pulse 88/min. Physical examination reveals an anxious but tired-looking man with mild respiratory distress and mild pallor. Laboratory and antibody tests are ordered and the findings include the following: Laboratory test Hematocrit 34% Hepatitis antibody test negative Hepatitis C antibody test negative 24-hour urinary protein 2 g Urine microscopy more than 5 RBC under high power microscopy Antibody test C-ANCA negative Anti MPO/P-ANCA positive Serum urea 140 mg/dL Serum creatinine 2.8 mg/dL Renal biopsy shows glomerulonephritis with crescent formation. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis in this patient?

A 43-year-old HIV positive male presents with signs and symptoms concerning for a fungal infection. He is currently not on antiretrovirals and his CD4 count is 98. Which of the following candidal infections could be seen in this patient but would be very rare in an immunocompetent host?

A 40-year-old woman comes to the physician for right lower abdominal pain for 6 months. She has multiple non-bloody, watery bowel movements daily and experiences abdominal cramping. Sometimes, she feels sudden palpitations, is short of breath, and her face becomes red. She has lost 7 kg over the past 3 months. She went on a 3-week hiking trip to Cambodia 6 months ago. She has smoked a pack of cigarettes daily for 15 years. Her temperature is 37˚C (98.6°F), her pulse is 72/min and her blood pressure is 125/70 mm Hg. On physical examination, tiny blood vessels are noted on her face and arms. Lung auscultation shows bilateral wheezing. The abdomen is soft and nondistended. There is localized tenderness to the right lower quadrant, but no rebound tenderness or guarding. Laboratory studies show: Leukocyte count 4,600 /mm3 Segmented neutrophils 61 % Eosinophils 2 % Platelet count 254,000 /mm3 Hemoglobin 13.1 g/dL Serum Aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 110 IU/L Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 128 IU/L C-reactive protein 8 mg/dL (N = 0–10) Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 68-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department with intense abdominal pain for the past 2 hours. She has had 1 episode of bloody diarrhea recently. She has an 18-year history of diabetes mellitus. She was diagnosed with hypertension and ischemic heart disease 6 years ago. She is fully alert and oriented. Her temperature is 37.5°C (99.5°F), blood pressure is 145/90 mm Hg, pulse is 78/min, and respirations are 14/min. Abdominal examination shows mild generalized abdominal tenderness without guarding or rebound tenderness. An abdominal plain X-ray shows no abnormalities. Abdominal CT reveals colonic wall thickening and pericolonic fat stranding in the splenic curvature. Bowel rest, intravenous hydration, and IV antibiotics are initiated. Which of the following is the most important diagnostic evaluation at this time?

A 27-year-old new patient presents to the physician’s office with complaints of burning, upper abdominal pain for the past 6 months. The pain does not radiate and is only partially relieved by eating small meals, over the counter antacids, and PPI. He previously underwent upper endoscopy that revealed small ulcers in the stomach and duodenum. He had to relocate across the country before he could receive proper treatment or further workup. He also complains of constipation and urinary frequency. His mother has a history of peptic ulcer disease and recurrent kidney stones. Vital signs are normal. On physical examination, the patient is alert and not under distress. Abdominal examination reveals epigastric tenderness with no rebounding. Cardiopulmonary examination is unremarkable. A fecal occult blood test is positive. Laboratory results are as follows: Sodium 142 mEq/L Potassium 4.1 mEq/L Chloride 108 mEq/L Bicarbonate 22 mEq/L Calcium 11.2 mg/dL Phosphorus 2.0 mg/dL Blood urea nitrogen 19 mg/dL Creatinine 1.1 mg/dL Additional evaluation is most likely to reveal which of the following?

A 53-year-old patient presents to his primary care provider with a 1-week history of abdominal pain at night and between meals. He has attempted taking antacids, which help briefly, but then the pain returns. The patient has not noticed any changes to the color of his stool but states that he has been having some loose bowel movements. The patient reports that he has had duodenal ulcers in the past and is concerned that this is a recurrence. On exam, his temperature is 98.4°F (36.9°C), blood pressure is 130/84 mmHg, pulse is 64/min, and respirations are 12/min. The abdomen is soft, nontender, and nondistended in clinic today. A fecal occult blood test is positive for blood in the stool. During outpatient workup, H. pylori stool antigen is negative, endoscopy demonstrates duodenal ulcers, and gastrin levels are elevated after a secretin stimulation test. Which of the following should also be examined in this patient?

A 33-year-old woman comes to the clinic for a follow-up visit after recently starting high dose corticosteroids for a newly diagnosed autoimmune condition. She was first evaluated a month ago due to fatigue, muscle weakness, and a scaly rash on both hands. On examination, muscle strength was rated 2 out of 5 in the upper extremities. Creatine kinase-MB was elevated, and anti-Jo-1 antibodies were observed. A muscle biopsy later showed perimysial inflammation and treatment was initiated. Today, the patient says that her symptoms have not improved despite treatment with corticosteroids. It is agreed upon to initiate methotrexate with the hopes of achieving better symptom control. Which of the following is most often associated with this patient’s condition?