A 43-year-old store clerk comes to your office upset because…
A 43-year-old store clerk comes to your office upset because she has found an enlarged lymph node under her left arm. She states she found it yesterday when she was feeling pain under her arm during movement. She states the lymph node is about an inch long and is very painful. She checks her breasts monthly and gets a yearly mammogram (her last was 2 months ago), and until now everything has been normal. She states she is so upset because her mother died in her 50s of breast cancer. The patient does not smoke, drink, or use illegal drugs. Her father is in good health. On examination you see a tense female appearing her stated age. On visual inspection of her left axilla you see a tense red area. There is no scarring around the axilla. Palpating this area, you feel a 2-cm tender, movable lymph node underlying hot skin. Other shotty nodes are also in the area. Visualization of both breasts is normal. Palpation of her right axilla and both breasts is unremarkable. Examining her left arm, you see a scabbed-over superficial laceration over her left hand. Upon your questioning, she remembers she cut her hand gardening last week.What disorder of the axilla is most likely responsible for her symptoms?
Read DetailsA 42-year-old house painter comes to your clinic, complainin…
A 42-year-old house painter comes to your clinic, complaining of pain with defecation and profuse bleeding in the toilet after a bowel movement. He was in his usual state of health until 2 weeks ago, when he was injured in a car accident. After the accident he began taking prescription narcotics for the pain in his shoulder. Since then he has had very few bowel movements. His stool is hard and pebble-like. He states he has always been “regular” in the past, with easy bowel movements. His diet has not changed but he states that he is exercising less since the accident. His past medical history includes hypertension and he is on a low-dose diuretic. He has had no other chronic illnesses or surgeries. He has a family history of hypertension, coronary heart disease, and diabetes but no cancer. He is divorced and has three children. He smokes two packs of cigarettes per day and quit drinking more than 10 years ago. He has had no recent weight loss, weight gain, fever, or night sweats. On examination he appears muscular and healthy; he is afebrile. His blood pressure is 135/90 with a pulse of 80. His cardiac, lung, and abdominal examinations are normal. He is wearing a sling on his left arm. On observation of his anus you find a swollen bluish ovoid mass that appears to contain a blood clot. Digital rectal examination is extremely painful for the patient. No other mass is palpated within the anus or rectum.What disorder of the anus is this patient likely to have?
Read DetailsA foster mother brings a 4-year-old child to see you for an…
A foster mother brings a 4-year-old child to see you for an evaluation. She has had custody of the girl for 2 weeks. She knows that the child was born in your state and that her maternal grandmother had custody for 6 months. She received good medical care during that time, but after her biologic mother obtained custody the child was abused and has had no further medical care. She says the child has had many behavioral problems and seems to be very behind on her developmental tasks. When you examine the child you notice short palpebral fissures, a wide nasal philtrum, and thin lips. Her cardiac, pulmonary, musculoskeletal, and abdominal examinations are normal. Her Denver Developmental Screening Test shows most of her milestones have occurred only through the 24th month.What form of congenital retardation is she most likely to have?
Read DetailsA 78-year-old retired seamstress comes to the office for a r…
A 78-year-old retired seamstress comes to the office for a routine check-up. You obtain an ECG (electrocardiogram) because of her history of hypertension. You diagnose a previous myocardial infarction and ask her if she had any symptoms related to this. Which of the following symptoms would be more common in this patient’s age group for an acute myocardial infarction?
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