Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease — MCQs

A 20-year-old man presents to the doctor's office for advice on improving his health. He admits to eating mostly junk food, and he knows that he should lose some weight. His daily physical activity is limited to walking around the college campus between classes. Except for an occasional headache for which he takes acetaminophen, he has no health concerns and takes no other medications. He denies smoking and illicit drug use, but admits to occasional beer binge drinking on weekends. He is sexually active with his current girlfriend and regularly uses condoms. His mother has type 2 diabetes mellitus and obesity, while his father has hypertension and hypercholesterolemia. The pulse is 74/min, the respiratory rate is 16/min, and the blood pressure is 130/76 mm Hg. The body mass index (BMI) is 29 kg/m2. Physical examination reveals an overweight young male, and the rest is otherwise unremarkable. The routine lab test results are as follows: Serum Glucose (fasting) 100 mg/dL Serum Electrolytes: Sodium 141 mEq/L Potassium 4.0 mEq/L Chloride 100 mEq/L Cholesterol, total 190 mg/dL HDL-cholesterol 42 mg/dL LDL-cholesterol 70 mg/dL Triglycerides 184 mg/dL Urinalysis: Glucose Negative Ketones Negative Leukocytes Negative Nitrites Negative RBCs Negative Casts Negative Which of the following lifestyle changes would most likely benefit this patient the most?

A 46-year-old woman presents to her primary care provider for itching. She reports that she has always had dry skin but that the itching has gotten significantly worse over the last few years. The patient also endorses fatigue and dull abdominal pain. Her past medical history includes Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, mitral valve prolapse, and osteoarthritis. She takes levothyroxine and ibuprofen for pain in her knees. The patient drinks 2-3 beers per week. She has a 10 pack-year smoking history but quit 15 years ago. She denies any family history of cancer. On physical exam, her sclera are anicteric. Her abdomen is soft and tender to palpation in the right upper quadrant. Her bowel sounds are normal and hepatomegaly is present. A right upper quadrant ultrasound shows no evidence of extrahepatic biliary dilation. Laboratory studies are performed which reveal the following: Aspartate aminotransferase (AST): 76 U/L Alanine aminotransferase (ALT): 57 U/L Alkaline phosphatase: 574 U/L Total bilirubin: 1.6 mg/dL This patient is most likely to have which of the following additional findings?

A 62-year-old woman with a history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and rheumatoid arthritis presents for evaluation of elevated serum liver chemistries. She has had three months of intense, unremitting itching. Current medications include chlorthalidone, atorvastatin, and ibuprofen. Physical exam is unremarkable. Laboratory studies show aspartate aminotransferase (AST) 42 units/L, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) 39 units/L, alkaline phosphatase 790 units/L, total bilirubin 0.8 mg/dL, and antimitochondrial antibody titer 1:80. What do you expect to see on liver biopsy?

A 57-year-old woman comes to the physician for a routine health maintenance examination. She has well-controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus, for which she takes metformin. She is 163 cm (5 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 84 kg (185 lb); BMI is 31.6 kg/m2. Her blood pressure is 140/92 mm Hg. Physical examination shows central obesity, with a waist circumference of 90 cm. Laboratory studies show: Fasting glucose 94 mg/dl Total cholesterol 200 mg/dL High-density lipoprotein cholesterol 36 mg/dL Triglycerides 170 mg/dL Without treatment, this patient is at greatest risk for which of the following conditions?

A 48-year-old man presents to the emergency department with shortness of breath. He reports that 6 months ago he was able to walk several miles without stopping. Yesterday, he became short of breath walking from his bed to the bathroom. He also endorses worsening abdominal distension and leg swelling, which he reports is new from several months ago. The patient has a past medical history of hypertension and hyperlipidemia. He admits to drinking 6-8 beers daily for the past 10 years. On physical exam, the patient has moderate abdominal distension and pitting edema to the knee. Crackles are present at the bilateral bases. Laboratory testing reveals the following: Hemoglobin: 13.4 g/dL Mean corpuscular volume (MCV): 102 μm³ Leukocyte count: 11,200/mm³ with normal differential Platelet count: 256,000/mm³ Serum: Na+: 137 mEq/L Cl-: 100 mEq/L K+: 4.2 mEq/L HCO3-: 25 mEq/L BUN: 18 mg/dL Glucose: 126 mg/dL Creatinine: 0.9 mg/dL Alkaline phosphatase: 88 U/L Aspartate aminotransferase (AST): 212 U/L Alanine aminotransferase (ALT): 104 U/L Which of the following is the best next step in management?

A 15-year-old girl comes to the physician for a well-child examination. She feels well. Her father has coronary artery disease and hypertension. Her mother has type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolemia, and had a myocardial infarction at the age of 52 years. She is at the 25th percentile for height and above the 95th percentile for weight. Her BMI is 32 kg/m2. Her temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 99/min, and blood pressure is 140/88 mm Hg. Physical examination shows no abnormalities. Random serum studies show: Glucose 160 mg/dL Creatinine 0.8 mg/dL Total cholesterol 212 mg/dL HDL-cholesterol 32 mg/dL LDL-cholesterol 134 mg/dL Triglycerides 230 mg/dL In addition to regular aerobic physical activity, which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 31-year-old man presents to his primary care physician with shortness of breath. He states that he had a “cold” 2 weeks ago and since then has had a persistent cough and worsening shortness of breath. He denies fever, chills, chest pain, sore throat, or rhinorrhea. His medical history is significant for seasonal allergies. He uses fluticasone nasal spray. He had his tonsils removed when he was 8 years of age. His mother and maternal grandfather have cirrhosis, and his father has depression and hypertension. The patient endorses that he smokes tobacco socially on the weekends and uses marijuana daily. He drinks 1-2 beers after work with his co-workers most evenings. A chest radiograph shows hyperinflation of the lungs and hyperlucency. Routine labs are drawn, as shown below. Serum: Na+: 139 mEq/L Cl-: 105 mEq/L K+: 4.0 mEq/L HCO3-: 26 mEq/L Urea nitrogen: 15 mg/dL Glucose: 100 mg/dL Creatinine: 0.8 mg/dL Alkaline phosphatase: 98 U/L Aspartate aminotransferase (AST, GOT): 46 U/L Alanine aminotransferase (ALT, GPT): 49 U/L Pulmonary function tests are pending. Which of the following is most likely to confirm the patient’s diagnosis?

A 48-year-old man comes to the physician because of increasing generalized fatigue for 1 month. He has been unable to do normal household duties or go for his evening walks during this period. He has hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and type 2 diabetes mellitus. His father died of liver cancer at the age of 60 years. He does not smoke. He drinks one alcoholic beverage daily. Current medications include atorvastatin, enalapril, metformin, and insulin glargine. He is 170 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall and weighs 100 kg (220 lb); BMI is 34.6 kg/m2. His temperature is 36.6°C (97.9°F), pulse is 116/min, and blood pressure is 140/90 mm Hg. Examination shows hyperpigmented skin over the nape of the neck and extremities. The liver is palpated 4 cm below the right costal margin. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 10.6 g/dL Mean corpuscular volume 87 μm3 Leukocyte count 9,700/mm3 Platelet count 182,000/mm3 Serum Glucose 213 mg/dL Creatinine 1.4 mg/dL Albumin 4.1 g/dL Total bilirubin 1.1 mg/dL Alkaline phosphatase 66 U/L AST 100 U/L ALT 69 U/L γ-glutamyl transferase 28 U/L (N=5–50) Hepatitis B surface antigen negative Hepatitis C antibody negative Iron studies Iron 261 μg/dL Ferritin 558 ng/dL Transferrin saturation 83% Anti-nuclear antibody negative Which of the following is the most appropriate next step to confirm the diagnosis?

A 45-year-old man presents for follow-up to monitor his chronic hepatitis C treatment. The patient was infected with hepatitis C genotype 1, one year ago. He has been managed on a combination of pegylated interferon-alpha and ribavirin, but a sustained viral response has not been achieved. Past medical history is significant for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease for the last 5 years. Which of the following, if added to the patient’s current treatment regimen, would most likely benefit this patient?

A 38-year-old woman presents to her primary care physician for a new patient appointment. She states that she feels well and has no current complaints. The patient recently started seeing a specialist for treatment for another medical condition but otherwise has had no medical problems. The patient lives alone and drinks 2 alcoholic beverages every night. She has had 3 sexual partners in her lifetime, uses oral contraceptive pills for contraception, and has never been pregnant. Physical exam reveals a pleasant, obese woman with normal S1 and S2 on cardiac exam. Musculoskeletal exam reveals swelling of the MCP and PIP joints of the hands as well as ulnar deviation of the fingers. Laboratory tests are ordered and results are below: Serum: Na+: 139 mEq/L Cl-: 100 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+: 10.2 mg/dL AST: 95 U/L ALT: 68 U/L Which of the following best explains this patient's abnormal laboratory values?