Diagnosis of chronic pancreatitis — MCQs

A 43-year-old man is brought to the emergency department because of severe epigastric pain and vomiting for 6 hours. The pain radiates to his back and he describes it as 9 out of 10 in intensity. He has had 3–4 episodes of vomiting during this period. He admits to consuming over 13 alcoholic beverages the previous night. There is no personal or family history of serious illness and he takes no medications. He is 177 cm (5 ft 10 in) tall and weighs 55 kg (121 lb); BMI is 17.6 kg/m2. He appears uncomfortable. His temperature is 37.5°C (99.5°F), pulse is 97/min, and blood pressure is 128/78 mm Hg. Abdominal examination shows severe epigastric tenderness to palpation. Bowel sounds are hypoactive. The remainder of the physical examination shows no abnormalities. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 13.5 g/dL Hematocrit 62% Leukocyte count 13,800/mm3 Serum Na+ 134 mEq/L K+ 3.6 mEq/L Cl- 98 mEq/L Calcium 8.3 mg/dL Glucose 180 mg/dL Creatinine 0.9 mg/dL Amylase 150 U/L Lipase 347 U/L (N = 14–280) Total bilirubin 0.8 mg/dL Alkaline phosphatase 66 U/L AST 19 U/L ALT 18 U/L LDH 360 U/L Which of the following laboratory studies is the best prognostic indicator for this patient's condition?

A 52-year-old woman presents to the urgent care center with several hours of worsening abdominal discomfort with radiation to the back. The patient also complains of malaise, chills, nausea, and vomiting. Social history is notable for alcoholism. On physical exam, she is febrile to 39.5°C (103.1°F), and she is diffusely tender to abdominal palpation. Complete blood count is notable for 13,500 white blood cells, bilirubin 2.1, lipase 842, and amylase 3,210. Given the following options, what is the most likely diagnosis?

A 75-year-old man presents to the emergency department for abdominal pain. The patient states the pain started this morning and has been worsening steadily. He decided to come to the emergency department when he began vomiting. The patient has a past medical history of obesity, diabetes, alcohol abuse, and hypertension. His current medications include captopril, insulin, metformin, sodium docusate, and ibuprofen. His temperature is 104.0°F (40°C), blood pressure is 160/97 mmHg, pulse is 90/min, respirations are 15/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Abdominal exam reveals left lower quadrant tenderness. Cardiac exam reveals a crescendo systolic murmur heard best by the right upper sternal border. Lab values are ordered and return as below. Hemoglobin: 15 g/dL Hematocrit: 42% Leukocyte count: 19,500 cells/mm^3 with normal differential Platelet count: 226,000/mm^3 Serum: Na+: 139 mEq/L Cl-: 101 mEq/L K+: 4.4 mEq/L HCO3-: 24 mEq/L BUN: 22 mg/dL Glucose: 144 mg/dL Creatinine: 1.2 mg/dL Ca2+: 9.8 mg/dL Which of the following is the most accurate test for this patient's condition?

A 29-year-old woman presents with a 2-hour history of sudden onset of severe mid-epigastric pain. The pain radiates to the back, and is not relieved by over-the-counter antacids. The patient also complains of profuse vomiting. The patient’s medical history is negative for similar symptoms. She consumes 3–4 alcoholic drinks daily. The blood pressure is 80/40 mm Hg and the heart rate is 105/min. Examination of the lungs reveals bibasilar crackles. Abdominal examination reveals diffuse tenderness involving the entire abdomen, marked guarding, rigidity, and reduced bowel sounds. The chest X-ray is normal. However, the abdominal CT scan reveals peritoneal fluid collection and diffuse pancreatic enlargement. The laboratory findings include: Aspartate aminotransferase 63 IU/L Alkaline phosphatase 204 IU/L Alanine aminotransferase 32 IU/L Serum amylase 500 IU/L (Normal: 25-125 IU/L) Serum lipase 1,140 IU/L (Normal: 0-160 IU/L) Serum calcium 2 mmol/L Which of the following cellular changes are most likely, based on the clinical and laboratory findings?

A 55-year-old woman presents with acute onset abdominal pain radiating to her back, nausea, and vomiting. CT scan suggests a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis. The pathogenesis of acute pancreatitis relates to inappropriate activation of trypsinogen to trypsin. Which of the following activates trypsin in normal digestion?

A 54-year-old man presents to his primary care physician with a 2-month-history of diarrhea. He says that he feels the urge to defecate 3-4 times per day and that his stools have changed in character since the diarrhea began. Specifically, they now float, stick to the side of the toilet bowl, and smell extremely foul. His past medical history is significant for several episodes of acute pancreatitis secondary to excessive alcohol consumption. His symptoms are found to be due to a deficiency in an enzyme. Which of the following enzymes is most likely deficient in this patient?

A patient presents to the emergency room in an obtunded state. The patient is a known nurse within the hospital system and has no history of any medical problems. A finger stick blood glucose is drawn showing a blood glucose of 25 mg/dL. The patient's daughter immediately arrives at the hospital stating that her mother has been depressed recently and that she found empty syringes in the bathroom at the mother's home. Which of the following is the test that will likely reveal the diagnosis?

A 42-year-old man comes to the physician because of severe epigastric pain for a week. The pain is constant and he describes it as 6 out of 10 in intensity. The pain radiates to his back and is worse after meals. He has had several episodes of nausea and vomiting during this period. He has taken ibuprofen for multiple similar episodes of pain during the past 6 months. He also has had a 5.4-kg (12-lb) weight loss over the past 4 months. He has a 12-year history of drinking 3 to 4 pints of rum daily. He has been hospitalized three times for severe abdominal pain in the past 3 years. He appears ill. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 87/min, and blood pressure is 110/70 mm Hg. There is severe epigastric tenderness to palpation. Bowel sounds are normal. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 13.6 g/dL Leukocyte count 7,800/mm3 Serum Glucose 106 mg/dL Creatinine 1.1 mg/dL Amylase 150 U/L A CT of the abdomen is shown. Which of the following is the most appropriate long-term management for this patient?

A 54-year-old woman comes to the physician because of an ulcer on her left ankle for 6 years. She has had multiple ulcers over her left lower extremity during this period that have subsided with wound care and dressing. She has type 2 diabetes mellitus and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Current medications include metformin, sitagliptin, and omeprazole. She appears anxious. She is 162 cm (5 ft 4 in) tall and weighs 89 kg (196 lb); BMI is 34 kg/m2. Vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows a 7.5-cm (3-in) ulcer with elevated, indurated margins and a necrotic floor above the left medial malleolus. There are multiple dilated, tortuous veins along the left lower extremity. There is 2+ pretibial edema of the lower extremities bilaterally. The skin around the left ankle appears darker than the right and there are multiple excoriation marks. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management of this patient's current condition?

A pathologist receives a skin biopsy specimen from a patient who is suspected to have developed graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) following allogeneic stem-cell transplantation. The treating physician informs the pathologist that he is specifically concerned about the diagnosis as the patient developed skin lesions on the 90th-day post-transplantation and therefore, by definition, it should be considered a case of acute GVHD. However, the lesions clinically appear like those of chronic GVHD. The pathologist examines the slide under the microscope and confirms the diagnosis of chronic GVHD. Which of the following findings on skin biopsy is most likely to have helped the pathologist to confirm the diagnosis?