Interstitial lung disease classification — MCQs

A 61-year-old male presents to your office with fever and dyspnea on exertion. He has been suffering from chronic, non-productive cough for 1 year. You note late inspiratory crackles on auscultation. Pulmonary function tests reveal an FEV1/FVC ratio of 90% and an FVC that is 50% of the predicted value. Which of the following would you most likely see on a biopsy of this patient's lung?

A 46-year-old woman comes to the physician with a 4-month history of lethargy. She has had joint pain for the past 15 years and does not have a primary care physician. Her temperature is 37.4°C (99.3°F), pulse is 97/min, and blood pressure is 132/86 mm Hg. Physical examination shows pallor of the oral mucosa and nontender subcutaneous nodules on both elbows. The distal interphalangeal joints of both hands are flexed and the proximal interphalangeal joints appear hyperextended. Range of motion in the fingers is restricted. The liver span is 6 cm and the spleen tip is palpated 4 cm below the left costal margin. Laboratory studies show: Hematocrit 33% Leukocyte count 1,800/mm3 Segmented neutrophils 35% Lymphocytes 60% Platelet count 130,000/mm3 Increased serum titers of which of the following is most specific for this patient's condition?

A 36-year-old man presents with increasing shortness of breath for a month, which is aggravated while walking and climbing up the stairs. He also complains of pain and stiffness in both wrists, and the distal interphalangeal and metacarpophalangeal joints of both hands. He was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis 6 months ago and was started on methotrexate with some improvement. He is a lifetime non-smoker and has no history of drug abuse. The family history is insignificant for any chronic disease. The blood pressure is 135/85 mm Hg, pulse rate is 90/min, temperature is 36.9°C (98.5°F), and the respiratory rate is 22/min. Physical examination reveals short rapid breathing with fine end-inspiratory rales. An echocardiogram is normal with an ejection fraction of 55%. A chest X-ray shows diffuse bilateral reticular markings with multiple pulmonary nodules. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient’s lung condition?

A 65-year-old male engineer presents to the office with shortness of breath on exertion and a dry cough that he has had for about a year. He is a heavy smoker with a 25-pack-years history. His vitals include: heart rate 95/min, respiratory rate 26/min, and blood pressure 110/75 mm Hg. On examination, he presents with nail clubbing and bilateral and persistent crackling rales. The chest radiograph shows basal reticulonodular symmetric images, with decreased lung fields. The pulmonary function tests show the following: diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) is 43% and reference SaO2 is 94% and 72%, at rest and with exercise, respectively. What is the most likely diagnosis?

A 41-year-old woman presents to urgent care with complaints of a new rash. On review of systems, she endorses ankle pain bilaterally. Otherwise, she has no additional localized complaints. Physical examination reveals numerous red subcutaneous nodules overlying her shins, bilaterally. Complete blood count shows leukocytes 7,300, Hct 42.0%, Hgb 14.0 g/dL, mean corpuscular volume (MCV) 88 fL, and platelets 209. Chest radiography demonstrates bilateral hilar adenopathy with clear lungs. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 40-year-old woman comes to the physician for a 2-month history of chest pain and heartburn after meals. The patient reports that the pain is worse at night and especially when lying down. She has a history of Raynaud's disease treated with nifedipine. There is no family history of serious illness. She emigrated to the US from Nigeria 5 years ago. She does not smoke or drink alcohol. Vital signs are within normal limits. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. Thickening and hardening of the skin is seen on the hands and face. There are several firm, white nodules on the elbows and fingertips. Further evaluation of this patient is most likely to show which of the following findings?

A 70-year-old man comes to the physician because of intermittent shortness of breath while going up stairs and walking his dog. It began about 1 month ago and seems to be getting worse. He has also developed a dry cough. He has not had any wheezing, fevers, chills, recent weight loss, or shortness of breath at rest. He has a history of Hodgkin lymphoma, for which he was treated with chemotherapy and radiation to the chest 7 years ago. He also has hypertension, for which he takes lisinopril. Ten years ago, he retired from work in the shipbuilding industry. He has smoked half a pack of cigarettes daily since the age of 21. Vital signs are within normal limits. On lung auscultation, there are mild bibasilar crackles. A plain x-ray of the chest shows bilateral ground-glass opacities at the lung bases and bilateral calcified pleural plaques. Which of the following is the greatest risk factor for this patient's current condition?

A 49-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 4-month history of a dry cough and shortness of breath on exertion. She also reports recurrent episodes of pain, stiffness, and swelling in her wrist and her left knee over the past 6 months. She had two miscarriages at age 24 and 28. Physical examination shows pallor, ulcerations on the palate, and annular hyperpigmented plaques on the arms and neck. Fine inspiratory crackles are heard over bilateral lower lung fields on auscultation. Which of the following additional findings is most likely in this patient?

A 35-year-old female comes to the physician because of a 2-year history of progressive fatigue and joint pain. She has a 1-year history of skin problems and a 4-month history of episodic pallor of her fingers. She reports that the skin of her face, neck, and hands is always dry and itchy; there are also numerous “red spots” on her face. She has become more “clumsy” and often drops objects. She has gastroesophageal reflux disease treated with lansoprazole. She does not smoke. She occasionally drinks a beer or a glass of wine. Her temperature is 36.5°C (97.7°F), blood pressure is 154/98 mm Hg, and pulse is 75/min. Examination shows hardening and thickening of the skin of face, neck, and hands. There are small dilated blood vessels around her mouth and on her oral mucosa. Mouth opening is reduced. Active and passive range of motion of the proximal and distal interphalangeal joints is limited. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. Her creatinine is 1.4 mg/dL. The patient is at increased risk for which of the following complications?

A 37-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 10-month history of excessive daytime sleepiness and fatigue. She says she has difficulty concentrating and has fallen asleep at work on numerous occasions. She also reports having frequent headaches during the day. She has no difficulty falling asleep at night, but wakes up gasping for breath at least once. She has always snored loudly and began using an oral device to decrease her snoring a year ago. She has occasional lower back pain, for which she takes tramadol tablets 1–2 times per week. She also began taking one rabeprazole tablet daily 3 weeks ago. She does not smoke. She is 175 cm (5 ft 7 in) tall and weighs 119 kg (262 lb); BMI is 38.8 kg/m2. Her vital signs are within normal limits. Physical and neurologic examinations show no other abnormalities. Arterial blood gas analysis on room air shows: pH 7.35 PCO2 51 mm Hg PO2 64 mm Hg HCO3- 29 mEq/L O2 saturation 92% An x-ray of the chest and ECG show no abnormalities. Which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?