Stereotactic procedures — MCQs

A 50-year-old man comes to the physician because of gradually worsening rhythmic movements of his right hand for the past 5 months. His symptoms worsen when he is in a meeting and he is concerned that people are noticing it more frequently. There is no personal or family history of serious illness, but the patient recalls that his father developed bobbing of the head in older age. He takes no medications. Neurological examination shows a tremor of the right hand when the limbs are relaxed. When the patient is asked to move his arm the tremor decreases. He has reduced arm swing while walking. Which of the following is the most appropriate pharmacotherapy?

A 48-year-old man presents to the ER with a sudden-onset, severe headache. He is vomiting and appears confused. His wife, who accompanied him, says that he has not had any trauma, and that the patient has no relevant family history. He undergoes a non-contrast head CT that shows blood between the arachnoid and pia mater. What is the most likely complication from this condition?

A 78-year-old man is brought in to the emergency department by ambulance after his wife noticed that he began slurring his speech and had developed facial asymmetry during dinner approximately 30 minutes ago. His past medical history is remarkable for hypertension and diabetes. His temperature is 99.1°F (37.3°C), blood pressure is 154/99 mmHg, pulse is 89/min, respirations are 12/min, and oxygen saturation is 98% on room air. Neurologic exam reveals right upper and lower extremity weakness and an asymmetric smile. Which of the following is the next best step in management?

A 62-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by his wife because she thinks he has had a stroke. He has hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus. Current medications include enalapril and metformin. He has smoked 1 pack of cigarettes per day for the past 35 years. His blood pressure is 162/95 mm Hg. A CT scan of the brain shows a lacunar stroke involving the left subthalamic nucleus. The patient most likely presented with which of the following findings on physical examination?

A 26-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by ambulance after being involved in a motor vehicle collision. He does not open his eyes on command or respond to verbal cues. A CT scan of the head shows a hyperdense fluid collection in the right medial temporal lobe with medial displacement of the uncus and parahippocampal gyrus of the temporal lobe. Which of the following cranial nerves is most likely to be injured as a result of this patient's lesion?

A 22-year-old man is brought to the physician by his mother because of concerns about his recent behavior. Three months ago, the patient first reported hearing loud voices coming from the ceiling of his room. During this time, he has also become increasingly worried that visitors to the house were placing secret surveillance cameras. Mental status examination shows tangential speech with paranoid thoughts. Treatment for this patient's condition predominantly targets which of the following dopaminergic pathways?

A 76-year-old man is brought to his geriatrician by his daughter, who reports that he has been "losing his memory." While the patient previously performed all household duties by himself, he has recently had several bills that were unpaid. He also called his daughter on several occasions after getting lost while driving and having "accidents" before getting to the toilet. On exam, the patient is conversant and alert to person, place, and time, though his gait is wide-based and slow. Which of the following diagnostic procedures would be most appropriate to confirm the suspected diagnosis in this patient?

A 58-year-old woman is brought to the emergency department for shortness of breath and chest pain. Pulmonary angiography shows a large saddle embolus in the pulmonary arteries. Emergency drug therapy is administered and she is admitted to the hospital for observation. A follow-up CT scan of the chest shortly after admission shows that the thrombus has disappeared. Five hours later, the patient is found to be lethargic with slurred speech. Physical examination shows decreased consciousness, dysarthria, and optic disc swelling bilaterally. Which of the following is the most likely cause of her neurological symptoms?

The patient is admitted to the hospital. A stereotactic brain biopsy of the suspicious lesion is performed that shows many large lymphocytes with irregular nuclei. Which of the following is the most appropriate treatment?

A 77-year-old man is brought to the emergency department by his wife because of headache, nausea, and vomiting for 24 hours. His wife says that over the past 2 weeks, he has been more irritable and has had trouble remembering to do routine errands. Two weeks ago, he fell during a skiing accident but did not lose consciousness. He has coronary artery disease and hypertension. He has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for 50 years. He has had 2 glasses of wine daily since his retirement 10 years ago. Current medications include atenolol, enalapril, furosemide, atorvastatin, and aspirin. He appears acutely ill. He is oriented to person but not to place or time. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 99/min, respirations are 16/min, and blood pressure is 160/90 mm Hg. During the examination, he is uncooperative and unable to answer questions. Deep tendon reflexes are 4+ on the left and 2+ on the right. Babinski's sign is present on the left. There is mild weakness of the left iliopsoas and hamstring muscles. A CT scan of the head without contrast shows a high-density, 15-mm crescentic collection across the right hemispheric convexity. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?