Gastroenterology — MCQs

A previously healthy 55-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 5-month history of progressively worsening substernal chest pain after meals. The pain occurs almost daily, is worst after eating spicy food or drinking coffee, and often wakes him up from sleep at night. He has not had any weight loss. He has smoked 1 pack of cigarettes daily for 35 years and he drinks 1 to 2 glasses of wine daily with dinner. Physical examination is unremarkable. Esophagogastroduodenoscopy shows erythema of the distal esophagus with two small mucosal erosions. Biopsy specimens obtained from the esophagus show no evidence of metaplasia. Without treatment, this patient is at greatest risk for which of the following complications?

A 78-year-old woman presents with difficulty swallowing and retrosternal chest pain for the past couple of weeks. She says the pain radiates to the epigastric region and increases whenever she eats or drinks anything. She says the pain is not aggravated by exertion, and she denies any shortness of breath, nausea or vomiting, cough, sore throat, weight loss, or melena. She also denies any similar symptoms in the past. Past medical history is significant for hypertension, osteoporosis, stress incontinence, and a cataract in the left eye for which she underwent surgery 2 years ago. She is currently taking rosuvastatin, enalapril, risedronate, and oxybutynin. The patient denies any smoking history but says she consumes alcohol occasionally. The vital signs include pulse 74 /min, respiratory rate 14/min, and blood pressure 140/86 mm Hg. Abdominal examination reveals moderate tenderness to palpation over the epigastric region. The remainder of the physical examination is unremarkable. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is performed and shows mild left axis deviation. Which of the following is the next best step in the management of this patient?

A 45-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 5-kg (11-lb) weight loss and difficulty swallowing. She is able to swallow liquids without difficulty but feels like solid foods get stuck in her throat. Physical examination shows taut skin and limited range of motion of the fingers. There are telangiectasias over the cheeks. An esophageal motility study shows absence of peristalsis in the lower two-thirds of the esophagus and decreased lower esophageal sphincter pressure. Further evaluation of this patient is most likely to show which of the following?

A 24-year-old Asian woman comes to the office complaining of fatigue. She states that for weeks she has noticed a decrease in her energy. She is a spin instructor, and she has been unable to teach. She said that when she was bringing groceries up the stairs yesterday she experienced some breathlessness and had to rest after ascending 1 flight. She denies chest pain, palpitations, or dyspnea at rest. She has occasional constipation. She recently became vegan 3 months ago following a yoga retreat abroad. The patient has no significant medical history and takes no medications. She was adopted, and her family history is non-contributory. She has never been pregnant. Her last menstrual period was 3 days ago, and her periods are regular. She is sexually active with her boyfriend of 2 years and uses condoms consistently. She drinks a glass of red wine each evening with dinner. She denies tobacco use or other recreational drug use. Her temperature is 99°F (37.2°C), blood pressure is 104/74 mmHg and pulse is 95/min. Oxygen saturation is 98% while breathing ambient air. On physical examination, bilateral conjunctiva are pale. Her capillary refill is 3 seconds. A complete blood count is drawn, as shown below: Hemoglobin: 10 g/dL Hematocrit: 32% Leukocyte count: 10,000/mm^3 with normal differential Platelet count: 200,000/mm^3 A peripheral smear shows hypochromic red blood cells and poikilocytosis. A hemoglobin electrophoresis reveals a minor reduction in hemoglobin A2. Which of the following is most likely to be seen on the patient’s iron studies?

A 58-year-old man presents to the emergency department with a 1-day history of difficulty swallowing. He also mentions that he has been frequently experiencing moderate to severe burning pain localized to the epigastric region for the last 3 weeks. The patient denies any history of vomiting, hematemesis, or black-colored stools. His past medical history is significant for gastroesophageal reflux disease diagnosed 10 years ago, for which he has not been compliant with medications. He has seen multiple physicians for similar complaints of retrosternal burning with regurgitation over the last 10 years but has not taken the medications suggested by the physicians regularly. He has never had a colonoscopy or endoscopy. He does not have any other known medical conditions, but he frequently takes over-the-counter analgesics for the relief of muscular pain. On physical examination, his vital signs are stable. Physical examination is normal except for the presence of mild pallor. Examination of the chest and abdomen does not reveal any abnormality. Which of the following investigations is indicated as the next step in the diagnostic evaluation of this patient?

A 55-year-old Caucasian man is referred to a gastroenterologist for difficulty in swallowing. He has been cutting his food into much smaller pieces when he eats for a little over a year. Recently, he has been having difficulty with liquid foods like soup as well. His past medical history is irrelevant, but he has noticed a 4 kg (8.8 lb) weight loss over the past 2 months. He is a smoker and has a BMI of 26 kg/m2. He regularly uses omeprazole for recurrent heartburn and ibuprofen for a frequent backache. On examination, the patient is afebrile and has no signs of pharyngeal inflammation, cervical lymphadenopathy, or palpable thyroid gland. A barium swallow imaging with an upper GI endoscopy is ordered. Which of the following is a risk factor for the condition that this patient has most likely developed?

A 54-year-old man comes to the physician for the evaluation of difficulty swallowing of both solids and liquids for 1 month. During the past 5 months, he has also had increased weakness of his hands and legs. He sails regularly and is unable to hold the ropes as tightly as before. Ten years ago, he was involved in a motor vehicle collision. Examination shows atrophy of the tongue. Muscle strength is decreased in the right upper and lower extremities. There is muscle stiffness in the left lower extremity. Deep tendon reflexes are 1+ in the right upper and lower extremities, 3+ in the left upper extremity, and 4+ in the left lower extremity. Plantar reflex shows an extensor response on the left foot. Sensation to light touch, pinprick, and vibration is intact. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 77-year-old woman, gravida 2, para 2, is brought to the physician by staff of the nursing home where she resides because of involuntary loss of urine and increased frequency of urination over the past 2 weeks. She reports that she has very little time to get to the bathroom after feeling the urge to urinate. “Accidents” have occurred 4–6 times a day during this period. She has never had urinary incontinence before. She has also been more tired than usual. She drinks 3 cups of coffee daily. Her last menstrual period was 15 years ago. She takes no medications. Vital signs are within normal limits. The abdomen is soft and nontender. Pelvic examination shows a normal-appearing vagina and cervix; uterus and adnexa are small. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 42-year-old woman comes to the physician for a follow-up appointment. Two months ago, she was diagnosed with asthma after a 1-year history of a chronic cough and dyspnea with exertion. Her symptoms have improved since starting inhaled albuterol and beclomethasone, but she still coughs most nights when she is lying in bed. Over the past 2 weeks, she has also had occasional substernal chest pain. She does not smoke. She is 158 cm (5 ft 2 in) tall and weighs 75 kg (165 lb); BMI is 30 kg/m2. Vital signs are within normal limits. She has a hoarse voice and frequently clears her throat during the examination. The lungs are clear to auscultation. Pulmonary function tests show a FEV1 of 78% of expected. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in management?

A 38-year-old man comes to the physician because of an 8-month history of upper abdominal pain. During this period, he has also had nausea, heartburn, and multiple episodes of diarrhea with no blood or mucus. He has smoked one pack of cigarettes daily for the past 18 years. He does not use alcohol or illicit drugs. Current medications include an antacid. The abdomen is soft and there is tenderness to palpation in the epigastric and umbilical areas. Upper endoscopy shows several ulcers in the duodenum and the upper jejunum as well as thick gastric folds. Gastric pH is < 2. Biopsies from the ulcers show no organisms. Which of the following tests is most likely to confirm the diagnosis?