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Question 1
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Deposition of macrophages containing PAS (Periodic acid-Schiff) granules were found in a jejunal biopsy of a 45-year-old man complaining of indigestion. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Your Answer: Whipple's disease
Explanation:Whipple’s disease is a rare, systemic infectious disease caused by the bacterium Tropheryma whipplei. It primarily causes malabsorption but may affect any part of the body including the heart, brain, joints, skin, lungs and the eyes. Weight loss, diarrhoea, joint pain, and arthritis are common presenting symptoms, but the presentation can be highly variable and approximately 15% of patients do not have these classic signs and symptoms. Whipple’s disease is significantly more common in men, with 87% of the patients being male. Diagnosis is made by biopsy, usually by duodenal endoscopy, which reveals PAS-positive (periodic acid schiff) macrophages in the lamina propria containing non-acid-fast gram-positive bacilli.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 2
Correct
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A 72-year-old male presents complaining of having intermittent trouble with swallowing. He has also been regurgitating stale food material. He sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night feeling like he is suffocating. Choose the most likely diagnosis.
Your Answer: Pharyngeal pouch
Explanation:In benign stricture, oesophageal carcinoma, and systemic sclerosis, there is persistent dysphagia (rather than intermittent). In oesophageal spasm, there is no regurgitation of stale food material. The symptoms described are consistent with pharyngeal pouch.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 3
Incorrect
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A 50-year-old female was admitted to the emergency department with a moderate fever and productive cough. She commonly experiences central chest pain and regurgitation of undigested food particles. She did not suffer from acid reflux. Solid and liquid diet have both been affected for the last 4 months. A CXR showed an air-fluid level behind a normal sized heart. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Your Answer: Hiatus hernia
Correct Answer: Achalasia
Explanation:The diagnosis is aspiration pneumonia due to the retained food in the oesophagus. This is the case with achalasia. There is no acid reflux in this disease. An air fluid level behind the heart also favours achalasia. In hiatus hernia, GORD is usually present with nausea and vomiting. In the case of a pharyngeal pouch being present, halitosis would be evident.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 4
Correct
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A 62-year-old female with a history of COPD and hypertension presents with pain on swallowing. Current medication includes a salbutamol and becotide inhaler, bendrofluazide and amlodipine. What is the most likely cause of the presentation?
Your Answer: Oesophageal candidiasis
Explanation:The history gives you a woman who is on inhaled steroid therapy. It is always a good idea for patients to rinse their mouths well after using inhaled steroids. Odynophagia (pain on swallowing) is a symptom of oesophageal candidiasis, which is the most likely answer given the steroids. Typically, you might see this in someone who is immunocompromised (classically, in HIV+ patients).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 5
Incorrect
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A 35-year-old gentleman with a history of alcohol excess presents to hospital with progressive abdominal distension. He now complains of early satiety and abdominal discomfort as a result of the distension. Examination reveals a significantly distended abdomen with shifting dullness. A diagnostic ascitic tap is performed and the fluid sent for analysis.
What is the most appropriate first line treatment for his ascites?Your Answer: Spironolactone
Correct Answer: Paracentesis
Explanation:The first line treatment for ascites that is symptomatic is paracentesis. If it is not symptomatic, treatment could be with salt and fluid restriction as well as spironolactone. If spironolactone maximum dosage is reached, you can use furosemide additionally. Amiloride is not a diuretic that is recommended in this case.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 6
Correct
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A 31-year-old woman presents with complaints concerning her bowel habits. She claims that occasionally she sees blood in her stools but she's more concerned about having chronic abdominal and pelvic pain, tenesmus and intermittent diarrhoea. What would be the most probable cause of her condition?
Your Answer: Inflammatory bowel disease
Explanation:Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes both ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease. Both of them present with similar symptomatology including diarrhoea, fatigue, abdominal and pelvic pain, blood in the stools, weight loss and occasional fever. In diverticulosis, symptoms are less profound with alternating diarrhoea and constipation.
UTIs might produce abdominal or pelvic pain but they do not interfere with the quality of the stools.
Adenomyosis affects the uterus and presents with mainly menstrual complaints. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 7
Incorrect
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Which is the most common type of inherited colorectal cancer:
Your Answer: Familial adenomatous polyposis
Correct Answer: Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal carcinoma
Explanation:Hereditary non-polyposis syndrome (HNPCC) is the most common type of inherited colorectal cancer. It often presents in younger and younger generations down a family. FAP presents with 100’s-1000’s of polyps and is less common. Li-Fraumeni syndrome and Fanconi syndrome are rare. For Peutz-Jeghers syndrome, the thing you will look for in the question stem is discoloured spots on the lips, this is classic.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 8
Correct
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Which of the following is most commonly associated with the development of pseudomembranous colitis?
Your Answer: Cefuroxime
Explanation:Pseudomembranous colitis is caused by a C. difficile infection that causes membranes to form on the colon wall. It is caused most commonly by broad-spectrum antibiotics. This would include cephalosporins, broad-spectrum penicillin, and clindamycin. Macrolides and quinolones have also been reported as potential aetiologies, but much less commonly.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 9
Incorrect
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A 50-year-old man undergoes a colonoscopy due to the finding of blood in his stools. The colonoscopy revealed four polyps which were variable in size from one at 0.5cm, 2 at approximately 1.5cm and one at 2 cm.
When should this patient have a follow up colonoscopy?Your Answer: 1 year
Correct Answer: 3 years
Explanation:According to the British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines – this patient has 3-4 adenomas with 3 of them > 1 cm in size. This places him at medium risk and the recommendation is for a 3-year follow up period.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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Question 10
Correct
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A 44-year-old woman was admitted with dull retrosternal chest pain. History reveals the pain has been present for two weeks. Clinical examination and ECG, however, show nothing interesting. CXR shows an air-fluid level behind the heart. Which hernia would explain this presentation?
Your Answer: Hiatal
Explanation:A hiatal hernia may be asymptomatic, however classically it presents on CXR with a very characteristic air-fluid level behind the heart. If pain is present, PPIs can be administered. If pain is persistent, surgical intervention should be considered to ameliorate the risk of strangulation. There are two types of hiatal hernias; sliding or Para oesophageal.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Gastrointestinal System
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SESSION STATS - PERFORMANCE PER SPECIALTY
