Cardiology — MCQs

A 45-year-old man is rushed to the emergency department by his wife after complaining of sudden onset excruciating headache that started about an hour ago. On further questioning, the patient's wife gives a prior history of flank pain, hematuria, and hypertension in the patient, and she recalls that similar symptoms were present in his uncle. On examination, his GCS is 12/15. When his hip and knee are flexed, he resists subsequent extension of the knee. When the neck is passively flexed, there is severe neck stiffness and the patient's hips and knees flex involuntarily. During the examination, he lapses into unconsciousness. Which of the following mechanisms best explains what led to this patient's presentation?

A 44-year-old woman presents to the outpatient clinic for the evaluation of amenorrhea which she noted roughly 4 months ago. Her monthly cycles up to that point were normal. Initially, she thought that it was related to early menopause; however, she has also noticed that she has a small amount of milk coming from her breasts as well. She denies any nausea, vomiting, or weight gain but has noticed that she has lost sight in the lateral fields of vision to the left and right. Her vital signs are unremarkable. Physical examination confirms bitemporal hemianopsia. What test is likely to reveal her diagnosis?

A 47-year-old woman presents with blurry vision for the past 2 weeks. She says that symptoms onset gradually and have progressively worsened. She works as a secretary in a law firm, and now her vision is hampering her work. Past medical history is significant for psoriasis, diagnosed 7 years ago, managed with topical corticosteroids. Her blood pressure is 120/60 mm Hg, respiratory rate is 17/min, and pulse is 70/min. Her BMI is 28 kg/m2. Physical examination is unremarkable. Laboratory findings are significant for the following: RBC count 4.4 x 1012/L WBC count 5.0 x 109/L Hematocrit 44% Fasting plasma glucose 250 mg/dL Hemoglobin A1C 7.8% Which of the following would be the most likely cause of death in this patient?

A previously healthy 10-year-old boy is brought to the emergency department for the evaluation of one episode of vomiting and severe headache since this morning. His mother says he also had difficulty getting dressed on his own. He has not had any trauma. The patient appears nervous. His temperature is 37°C (98.6°F), pulse is 100/min, and blood pressure is 185/125 mm Hg. He is confused and oriented only to person. Ophthalmic examination shows bilateral optic disc swelling. There is an abdominal bruit that is best heard at the right costovertebral angle. A complete blood count is within normal limits. Which of the following is most likely to confirm the diagnosis?

A 26-year-old male professional soccer player is brought to the emergency department due to an episode of syncope during a game. He has felt increasing shortness of breath during the past 3 months. During the past week, he has been feeling chest pain upon exertion. He also tells the doctor that his brother had a sudden death a couple of years ago. His heart rate is 98/min, respiratory rate is 18/min, temperature is 36.5°C (97.7°F), and blood pressure is 110/72 mm Hg. On physical examination, there is a harsh crescendo-decrescendo systolic murmur immediately after S1; it is best heard at the left lower sternal border. There is also a holosystolic murmur at the apex that radiates to the axilla. When the Valsalva maneuver is performed, the murmur becomes louder. An ECG and an echocardiogram are performed, which confirm the diagnosis. What is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

A 39-year-old woman comes to the physician because of progressive pain and swelling of her wrists and hands for the past 2 months. Her hands are stiff in the morning; the stiffness decreases as she starts her chores. She also reports early-morning neck pain at rest for the past 3 weeks. She has no history of serious illness and takes no medications. Her sister has systemic lupus erythematosus. Vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows bilateral swelling and tenderness of the wrists, second, third, and fourth metacarpophalangeal joints; range of motion is limited by pain. There is no vertebral tenderness. Cardiopulmonary examination shows no abnormalities. Neurologic examination shows no focal findings. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 12.8 g/dL Leukocyte count 9,800/mm3 Erythrocyte sedimentation rate 44 mm/h Serum Glucose 77 mg/dL Creatinine 1.1 mg/dL Total bilirubin 0.7 mg/dL Alkaline phosphatase 33 U/L AST 14 U/L ALT 13 U/L Rheumatoid factor positive Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 62-year-old man returns to his physician for a follow-up examination. During his last visit 1 month ago splenomegaly was detected. He has had night sweats for the past several months and has lost 5 kg (11 lb) unintentionally during this period. He has no history of a serious illness and takes no medications. The vital signs are within normal limits. The physical examination shows no abnormalities other than splenomegaly. The laboratory studies show the following: Hemoglobin 9 g/dL Mean corpuscular volume 95 μm3 Leukocyte count 12,000/mm3 Platelet count 260,000/mm3 Ultrasound shows a spleen size of 15 cm (5.9 in) and mild hepatomegaly. The peripheral blood smear shows teardrop-shaped and nucleated red blood cells (RBCs) and immature myeloid cells. The marrow is very difficult to aspirate but reveals hyperplasia of all 3 lineages. The tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) test is negative. Clonal marrow plasma cells are not seen. JAK-2 is positive. The cytogenetic analysis is negative for translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22. Which of the following is the most appropriate curative management in this patient?

A 24-year-old previously healthy man comes to his physician because of dyspnea and hemoptysis for the past week. Examination shows inspiratory crackles at both lung bases. The remainder of the examination shows no abnormalities. His hemoglobin concentration is 14.2 g/dL, leukocyte count is 10,300/mm3, and platelet count is 205,000/mm3. Urine dipstick shows 2+ proteins. Urinalysis shows 80 RBC/hpf and 1–2 WBC/hpf. An x-ray of the chest shows pulmonary infiltrates. Further evaluation is most likely to show increased serum titers of which of the following?

A 42-year-old man presents to the clinic for a second evaluation of worsening blackened ulcers on the tips of his toes. His past medical history includes diabetes mellitus for which he takes metformin and his most recent HbA1c was 6.0, done 3 months ago. He also has hypertension for which he's prescribed amlodipine and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for which he uses an albuterol-ipratropium combination inhaler. He is also a chronic tobacco user with a 27-pack-year smoking history. He first noticed symptoms of a deep aching pain in his toes. Several months ago, he occasionally felt pain in his fingertips both at rest and with activity. Now he reports blackened skin at the tips of his fingers and toes. Evaluation shows: pulse of 82/min, blood pressure of 138/85 mm Hg, oral temperature 37.0°C (98.6°F). He is thin. Physical examination of his feet demonstrates the presence of 3, 0.5–0.8 cm, eschars over the tips of his bilateral second toes and right third toe. There is no surrounding erythema or exudate. Proprioception, vibratory sense, and monofilament examination are normal on both ventral aspects of his feet, but he lacks sensation over the eschars. Dorsal pedal pulses are diminished in both feet; the skin is shiny and hairless. Initial lab results include a C-reactive protein (CRP) level of 3.5 mg/dL, leukocytes of 6,000/mm3, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) of 34 mm/hr, and negative antinuclear antibodies. Which part of the patient's history is most directly associated with his current problem?

A 17-year-old girl is brought to the physician for a physical examination prior to participating in sports. She has no history of serious illness. She is on the school's cheerleading team and is preparing for an upcoming competition. Menarche was at 13 years of age, and her last menstrual period was 4 months ago. She is 167 cm (5 ft 6 in) tall and weighs 45 kg (99 lb); BMI is 16.1 kg/m2. Examination shows pale skin with thin, soft body hair. The patient is at increased risk for which of the following complications?