Minicases Flashcards
(202 cards)
What are the key physical exam items for headache?
- vitals
- inspection and palpation of entire head
- neuro exam WITH fundoscopic exam
Top 5 differential:
21 yo F presents with several episodes of
throbbing left temporal pain that lasts
for 2–3 hours. Prior to its onset, she sees
flashes of light in her right visual field
and feels weakness and numbness on the
right side of her body for a few minutes.
Headaches are often associated with
nausea and vomiting. She has a family
history of migraine.
- Migraine (complicated)
- Tension headache
- Cluster headache
- Pseudotumor cerebri
- Trigeminal neuralgia
longshots: trigeminal neuralgia, CNS vasculitis, partial seizure, intracranial neoplasm
Top 5 workup:
21 yo F presents with several episodes of
throbbing left temporal pain that lasts
for 2–3 hours. Prior to its onset, she sees
flashes of light in her right visual field and feels weakness and numbness on the right side of her body for a few minutes.
Headaches are often associated with nausea and vomiting. She has a family history of migraine.
- CBC
- ESR
- CT - head
- MRI - brain
- LP
Top 5 most important Hx items:
21 yo F presents with several episodes of
throbbing left temporal pain that lasts for 2–3 hours. Prior to its onset, she sees flashes of light in her right visual field and feels weakness and numbness on the
right side of her body for a few minutes. Headaches are often associated with nausea and vomiting. She has a family history of migraine.
- THROBBING
- UNILATERAL
- ASSOCIATED NEURO (FLASHES OF LIGHT/WEAKNESS/NUMBNESS)
- NAUSEA/VOMITING
- FAMILY HX
top 5 differential:
26 yo M presents with severe right
temporal headaches associated with
ipsilateral rhinorrhea, eye tearing, and
redness. Episodes have occurred at the same time every night for the past week and last for 45 minutes.
- Cluster headache
- migraine
- tension headache
- sinusitis
- pseudotumor cerebri
top 5 workup:
26 yo M presents with severe right temporal headaches associated with ipsilateral rhinorrhea, eye tearing, and redness. Episodes have occurred at the same time every night for the past week and last for 45 minutes.
- CBC
- ESR
- CT - head
- MRI - brain
- LP
top 5 differential:
65 yo F presents with severe, intermittent
right temporal headache, fever, blurred
vision in her right eye, and pain in her
jaw when chewing.
- temporal arteritis
- migraine
- cluster headache
- tension headache
- meningitis
top 5 workup:
65 yo F presents with severe, intermittent
right temporal headache, fever, blurred
vision in her right eye, and pain in her
jaw when chewing.
- CBC
- ESR
- CRP
- temporal artery biopsy
- carotid doppler
top 5 differential:
30 yo F presents with frontal headache,
fever, and nasal discharge. There is pain
on palpation of the frontal and maxillary
sinuses. She has a history of sinusitis.
- sinusitis
- migraine
- tension headache
- meningitis
- intracranial neoplasm
top 5 workup:
30 yo F presents with frontal headache,
fever, and nasal discharge. There is pain
on palpation of the frontal and maxillary
sinuses. She has a history of sinusitis.
- CBC
- Xray - sinus
- CT - sinus
- LP
top 5 workup:
25 yo M presents with high fever, severe
headache, confusion, photophobia, and
nuchal rigidity. Kernig’s and Brudzinski’s
signs are positive.
- CBC
- CT - head
- MRI - brain
- LP - CSF analysis including cell count, protein, glucose, gram stain, PCR for antigens and Cx)
Diagnosis and top 5 workup:
18 yo obese F presents with a pulsatile
headache, vomiting, and blurred vision
for the past 2–3 weeks. She is taking
OCPs.
Pseudotumor cerebri
- Urine hCG
- CBC
- CT - head
- LP - opening pressure and CSF analysis
top 5 differential:
57 yo M c/o daily pain in the right cheek
over the past month. The pain is electric
and stabbing in character and occurs
while he is shaving. Each episode lasts
2–4 minutes.
- trigeminal neuralgia
- tension headache
- migraine
- cluster headache
- TMJ dysfunction
top 3 workup:
57 yo M c/o daily pain in the right cheek
over the past month. The pain is electric
and stabbing in character and occurs
while he is shaving. Each episode lasts
2–4 minutes.
- CBC
- ESR
- MRI - brain
Top 10 key Hx items for CC of confusion/memory loss? What else is important about Hx gathering in this patient?
- Must include Hx from family members/caregivers
1. time course of cognitive deficits (acute vs chronic)
2. associated symptoms (constitutional, incontinence, ataxia, hypothyroid, depression)
3. waxing/waning nature (delirium)
4. recent falls
5. meds and recent med changes
6. hx of stroke or other vascular dx
7. STDs (syphilis)
8. HIV risk factors
9. EtOH use and nutritional status (B12)
10. FHx of cognitive deficits (Alzheimers)
top 9 key physical exam items for confusion/memory loss?
- vitals
- complete neuro exam
- mini-mental status
- gait
- ENT
- cardiac
- pulmonary
- abdominal
- extremities
top 5 ddx:
81 yo M presents with progressive confusion over the past several years together with forgetfulness and clumsiness. He has a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and two strokes with residual left hemiparesis. His mental status has clearly worsened after each stroke (stepwise decline in cognitive function).
- vascular dementia (multi-infarct)
- alzheimers
- NPH
- chronic subdural
- intracranial tumor
Ones w/ very specific hx items: B12 deficiency (nutrition), depression (SIGECAPS), neurosyphilis (promiscuity), hypothyroid (younger, cold intolerance, etc)
top 5 workup:
81 yo M presents with progressive confusion over the past several years together with forgetfulness and clumsiness. He has a history of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and two strokes with residual left hemiparesis. His mental status has clearly worsened after each stroke (stepwise decline in cognitive function).
- CBC
- VDRL/RPR
- serum B12
- TSH
- MRI - brain
top 5 ddx:
84 yo F brought by her son c/o forgetfulness (e.g., forgets phone numbers, loses her way back home) along with diffi culty performing some of her daily activities (e.g., bathing, dressing, managing money, using the phone). The problem has gradually progressed over the past few years.
- alzheimers
- vascular dementia
- depression
- hypothyroidism
- chronic subdural
top 5 workup:
84 yo F brought by her son c/o forgetfulness (e.g., forgets phone numbers, loses her way back home) along with diffi culty performing some of her daily activities (e.g., bathing, dressing, managing money, using the phone). The problem has gradually progressed over the past few years.
- CBC
- VDRL/RPR
- serum B12
- TSH
- MRI - brain
top 5 ddx:
72 yo M presents with memory loss, gait
disturbance, and urinary incontinence for
the past six months.
- NPH
- alzheimers
- vascular dementia
- chronic subdural
- intracranial neoplasm
top 5 workup:
72 yo M presents with memory loss, gait
disturbance, and urinary incontinence for
the past six months.
- CT - head
- LP - opening pressure and analysis
- serum B12
- VDRL/RPR
- TSH
top 5 ddx:
55 yo M presents with a rapidly progressive change in mental status, inability to concentrate, and memory impairment for the past two months. His symptoms are associated with myoclonus and ataxia.
- CJD
- vascular dementia
- lewy body dx
- wernicke’s encephelopathy
- NPH
top 5 workup:
55 yo M presents with a rapidly progressive change in mental status, inability to concentrate, and memory impairment for the past two months. His symptoms are associated with myoclonus and ataxia.
- CBC
- BMP (electrolytes and Ca)
- serum B12
- VDRL/RPR
- MRI - brain