Systemic autoimmune diseases — MCQs

A 47-year-old woman comes to the physician because of progressive pain and stiffness in her hands and wrists for the past several months. Her hands are stiff in the morning; the stiffness improves as she starts her chores. Physical examination shows bilateral swelling and tenderness of the wrists, metacarpophalangeal joints, and proximal interphalangeal joints. Her range of motion is limited by pain. Laboratory studies show an increased erythrocyte sedimentation rate. This patient's condition is most likely associated with which of the following findings?

A 47-year-old woman comes to the physician because of body aches for the past 9 months. She also has stiffness of the shoulders and knees that is worse in the morning and tingling in the upper extremities. Examination shows marked tenderness over the posterior neck, bilateral mid trapezius, and medial aspect of the left knee. A complete blood count and erythrocyte sedimentation rate are within the reference ranges. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 25-year-old woman presents into the clinic complaining of worsening malaise, hair loss, and a rash on her face. The patient states that she has been avoiding daylight because the rash becomes painful, and she has not been able to go to classes because of debilitating arthralgia in her fingers and ankles. No significant past medical history. She takes no medication. At the time of the consult, the patient has a fever of 39.0°C (102.2 °F). The presence of which of the following is most commonly seen on diagnostic labs in this patient’s most likely condition?

A 42-year-old woman presents complaining of pain in her hands. She reports that the pain is in both hands, and that it is usually worse in the morning. She reports that her hands are also stiff in the morning, but that this gradually improves throughout the morning. She notes, however, that her symptoms seem to be getting worse over the last three months. What is the most likely pathogenesis of her disease process?

A 33-year-old woman presents to her primary care physician for gradually worsening pain in both wrists that began several months ago. The pain originally did not bother her, but it has recently begun to affect her daily functioning. She states that the early morning stiffness in her hands is severe and has made it difficult to tend to her rose garden. She occasionally takes ibuprofen for the pain, but she says this does not really help. Her medical history is significant for diabetes mellitus and major depressive disorder. She is currently taking insulin, sertraline, and a daily multivitamin. The vital signs include: blood pressure 126/84 mm Hg, heart rate 82/min, and temperature 37.0°C (98.6°F). On physical exam, her wrists and metacarpophalangeal joints are swollen, tender, erythematous, and warm to the touch. There are no nodules or vasculitic lesions. Which of the following antibodies would be most specific to this patient’s condition?

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?

A 32-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 4-day history of low-grade fever, joint pain, and muscle aches. The day before the onset of her symptoms, she was severely sunburned on her face and arms during a hike with friends. She also reports being unusually fatigued over the past 3 months. Her only medication is a combined oral contraceptive pill. Her temperature is 37.9°C (100.2°F). Examination shows bilateral swelling and tenderness of the wrists and metacarpophalangeal joints. There are multiple nontender superficial ulcers on the oral mucosa. The detection of antibodies directed against which of the following is most specific for this patient's condition?

A 27-year-old woman presents to her primary care physician with a chief complaint of pain in her hands, shoulders, and knees. She states that the pain has lasted for several months but seems to have worsened recently. Any activity such as opening jars, walking, or brushing her teeth is painful. The patient has a past medical history of a suicide attempt in college, constipation, anxiety, depression, and a sunburn associated with surfing which was treated with aloe vera gel. Her temperature is 99.5°F (37.5°C), blood pressure is 137/78 mmHg, pulse is 92/min, respirations are 14/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Laboratory values are obtained and shown below. Hemoglobin: 9 g/dL Hematocrit: 33% Leukocyte count: 2,500/mm^3 with normal differential Platelet count: 107,000/mm^3 Serum: Na+: 139 mEq/L Cl-: 102 mEq/L K+: 4.4 mEq/L HCO3-: 24 mEq/L BUN: 21 mg/dL Glucose: 90 mg/dL Creatinine: 1.0 mg/dL Ca2+: 10.2 mg/dL AST: 12 U/L ALT: 10 U/L Which of the following is the most likely to be found in this patient?

A 44-year-old woman comes to her primary care physician with complaints of irritation and a gritty sensation in her eyes for the past few months. She denies any discharge from her eyes. She has no significant past medical or surgical history. She takes multivitamins occasionally but denies use of any other medication. On further questioning, she expresses her concerns about frequent dental caries for the past 2 years. On examination, her temperature is 37.1°C (98.8°F), blood pressure is 110/80 mm Hg, pulse rate is 74/min, and respiratory rate is 16/min. Which of the following is the most likely cause of her symptoms?

A 47-year-old woman presents to her physician for difficulty swallowing. She states that she intentionally delayed seeing a physician for this issue. She says her primary issue with swallowing is that her mouth always feels dry so she has difficulty chewing food to the point that it can be swallowed. On physical examination, her oral mucosa appears dry. Both of her eyes also appear dry. Several enlarged lymph nodes are palpated. Which of the following patterns of reactive lymphadenitis is most commonly associated with this patient’s presentation?