USMLE FA Classic Lab Findings Flashcards
(113 cards)
1
Q
Anticentromere antibodies
A
Scleroderma (CREST)
2
Q
Antidesmoglein antibodies
A
Pemphigus vulgaris (blistering)
3
Q
Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies
A
Goodpasture syndrome (glomerulonephritis & hemoptysis)
4
Q
Antihistone antibodies
A
Drug-induced SLE (hydralazine, INH, phenytoin, procainamide)
5
Q
Anti-IgG antibodies
A
Rheumatoid arthritis (systemic inflammation, joint pannus, boutonniere deformity)
6
Q
Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs)
A
1˚ biliary cirrhosis (female, cholestasis, portal HTN)
7
Q
MPO-ANCA/p-ANCA
A
Microscopic polyangiitis & Churg-Strauss syndrome
8
Q
PR3-ANCA/c-ANCA
A
Granulomatosis w/polyangiitis (Wegener)
9
Q
Antinuclear antibodies (anti-Smith & anti-dsDNA)
A
SLE (type III hypersensitivity)
10
Q
Antiplatelet antibodies
A
Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
11
Q
Anti-topoisomerase antibodies
A
Diffuse systemic scleroderma
12
Q
Anti-transglutaminase/anti-gliadin/anti-endomysial antibodies
A
Celiac disease (diarrhea, distention, weight loss)
13
Q
Apple core lesion on abdominal x-ray
A
Colorectal cancer (usually left-sided)
14
Q
Azurophilic peroxidase (+) granular inclusions in granulocytes & myeloblasts
A
Auer rods (AML, especially the promyelocytic [M3] type)
15
Q
Bacitracin response
A
Sensitive: Steptococcus pyogenes (Group A); resistant: streptococcus agalactiae (Group B)
16
Q
Bamboo spine on x-ray
A
Ankylosing spondylitis (chronic inflammatory arthritis; HLA-B27)
17
Q
Basophilic nuclear remnants in RBCs
A
Howell-Jolly bodies (d/t splenectomy or nonfunctional spleen)
18
Q
Basophilic stippling of RBCs
A
Lead poisoning or Sideroblastic anemia
19
Q
Bloody tap on LP
A
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
20
Q
Boot-shaped heart on x-ray
A
Tetralogy of Fallot, RVH
21
Q
Branching gram-positive rods w/sulfur granules
A
Actinomyces israelii
22
Q
Bronchogenic apical lung tumor on imaging
A
Pancoast tumor (can compress sympathetic ganglion & cause Horner syndrome)
23
Q
Brown tumor of bone
A
Hyperparathyroidism or osteitis fibrosa cystica (deposited hemosiderin from hemorrhage gives brown color)
24
Q
Cardiomegaly with apical atrophy
A
Chagas disease (Trypanosoma cruzi)
25
Cellular crescents in Bowman capsule
Rapidly progressive crescentic glomerulonephritis
26
Chocolate cyst of ovary
Endometriosis (frequently involves both ovaries)
27
Circular grouping of dark tumor cells surrounding pale neurofibrils
Homer-Wright rosettes (neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, retinoblastoma)
28
Colonies of mucoid Pseudomonas in lungs
Cystic fibrosis (autosomal recessive mutation in CFTR gene --> fat-soluble vitamin deficiency and mucous plugs)
29
Dec AFP in amniotic fluid/maternal serum
Down syndrome or other chromosomal abnormality
30
Degeneration of dorsal column nerves
```
Tabes dorsalis (3˚ syphilis) or
subacute combined degeneration (dorsal columns & lateral corticospinal tracts affected) due to B12, Vit E, or Friedrich Ataxia
```
31
Depigmentation of neurons in substantia nigra
Parkinson disease (basal ganglia disorder; rigidity, resting tremor, bradykinesia)
32
Desquamated epithelium casts in sputum
Curschmann spirals (bronchial asthma; can result in whorled mucous plugs)
33
Disarrayed granulosa cells in eosinophilic fluid
Call-Exner bodies (granulosa-theca cell tumor of ovary)
34
Dysplastic squamous cervical cells w/nuclear enlargement & hyperchromasia
Koilocytes (HPV; predisposes to cervical cancer)
35
Enlarged cells with intranuclear inclusion bodies
Owl eye appearance of CMV
36
Enlarged thyroid cells with ground glass nuclei
Orphan Annie eyes nuclei (papillary carcinoma of thyroid)
37
Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion in liver cell
Mallory body (alcoholic liver disease)
38
Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion in nerve cell
Lewy body (Parkinson disease)
39
Eosinophilic globule in liver
Councilman body (toxic or viral hepatitis, often yellow fever)
40
Eosinophilic inclusion bodies in cytoplasm of hippocampal & cerebellar nerve cells
Negri bodies of rabies
41
Extracellular amyloid deposition in gray matter of brain
Senile plaques (Alzheimer disease)
42
Giant B cells w/bilobed nuclei with prominent inclusions ("owl's eye")
Reed-Sternberg cells (Hodgkin lymphoma)
43
Glomerulus-like structure surrounding vessel in germ cells
Schiller-Duval bodies (yolk sac tumor)
44
Hair on end (crew-cut) appearance on x-ray
beta-Thalassemia, sickle cell anemia (marrow expansion)
45
hCG elevated
Choriocarcinoma, hydatidiform mole (occurs w/& w/o embryo, and multiple pregnancy)
46
Heart nodules (granulomatous)
Aschoff bodies (rheumatic fever)
47
Heterophile antibodies
Infectious mononucleosis (EBV)
48
Hexagonal, double-pointed, needle-like crystals in bronchial secretions
Bronchial asthma (Charcot-Leyden crystals; eosinophilic granules)
49
High level of D-dimers
DVT, PE, DIC
50
Hilar lymphadenopathy, peripheral granulomatous lesion in middle or lower lung lobes (can calcify)
Ghon complex (1˚ TB; Mycobacterium bacilli)
51
Honeycomb lung on x-ray or CT
Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis
52
Hypercoagulability (leading to migrating DVTs and vasculitis)
Trousseau syndrome (adenocarcinoma of pancreas or lung)
53
Hypersegmented neutrophils
Megaloblastic anemia (B12 deficiency - neurologic symptoms; folate deficiency - no neurologic symptoms)
54
Hypertension, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis
Conn syndrome
55
Hypochromic, microcytic anemia
Iron deficiency anemia, lead poisoning, thalassemia (fetal Hg sometimes present)
56
Increased AFP in amniotic fluid/maternal serum
Dating error, anencephaly, spina bifida (neural tube defects)
57
Increased uric acid levels
Gout, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, tumor lysis syndrome, loop and thiazide diuretics
58
Intranuclear eosinophilic droplet-like bodies
Cowdry type A bodies (HSV or CMV)
59
Iron-containing nodules in alveolar septum
Ferruginous bodies (asbestosis inc chance of mesothelioma)
60
Keratin pearls on a skin biopsy
Squamous cell carcinoma
61
Large lysosomal vesicles in phagocytes, immunodeficiency
Chediak-Higashi disease (congenital failure of phagolysososome formation)
62
Lead pipe appearance of colon on barium enema x-ray
Ulcerative colitis (loss of haustra)
63
Linear appearance of IgG depostion on glomerular basement membrane
Goodpasture syndrome
64
Low serum ceruloplasmin
Wilson disease (hepatolenticular degeneration)
65
Lumpy bumpy appearance of glomeruli on immunofluorescence
Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (immune complex deposition on IgG and C3b)
66
Lytic ("hole punches") bone lesions on x-ray
Multiple myeloma
67
Mammary gland ("blue domed") cyst
Fibrocystic change of the breast
68
Monoclonal antibody spike (IgG or IgA)
Multiple myeloma (usually IgG or IgA)
69
Monoclonal antibody spike
Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS consequence of aging); Primary amyloidosis
70
Monoclonal antibody spike (IgM)
Waldestrom (M protein = IgM) macroglobulinemia
71
Mucin-filled cell with peripheral nucleus
Signet ring (gastric carcinoma)
72
Narrowing of bowel lumen on barium x-ray
String sign (Crohn disease)
73
Necrotizing vasculitis (lungs) and necrotizing glomerulonephritis
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener; PR3-ANCA/c-ANCA) and Goodpasture syndrome (anti-basement membrane antibodies)
74
Needle-shaped, negatively birefringent crystals
Gout (monosodium urate crystals)
75
Nodular hyaline deposits in glomeruli
Kimmelstiel-Wilson nodules (diabetic nephropathy)
76
Novobiocin response
Sensitive: Staphylococcus epidermiditis; resistant: staphylococcus saprophyticus
77
Nutmeg appearance of liver
Chronic passive congestion of liver due to right heart failure
78
Onion skin periosteal reaction
Ewing sarcoma (malignant round-cell tumor)
79
Optochin response
Sensitive: Streptococcus pneumoniae; resistant: viridans streptococci
80
Periosteum raised from bone, creating triangular area
Codman triangle on x-ray (osteosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma, pyogenic osteomyelitis)
81
Podocyte fusion or "effacement" on electron microscopy
Minimal change disease (child with nephrotic syndrome)
82
Polished, "ivory-like" appearance of bone at cartilage erosion
Eburnation (osteoarthritis resulting in bony sclerosis)
83
Protein aggregates in neurons from hyperphosphorylation of tau protein
Neurofibrillary tangles (Alzheimer disease) and Pick bodies (Pick disease)
84
Psammoma bodies
Meningiomas, papillary thyroid carcinoma, mesothelioma, papillary serous carcinoma of the endometrium and ovary
85
Pseudopalisading tumor cells on brain biopsy
Gioblastoma multiforme
86
RBC casts in urine
Acute glomerulonephritis
87
Rectangular, crystal-like, cytoplasmic inclusions in Leydig cells
Reinke crystals (Leydig cell tumor)
88
Renal epithelial casts in urine
Acute toxic/viral renal injury
89
Rhomboid crystals, positively birefringent
Pseudogout (calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals)
90
Rib notching
Coarctation of the aorta
91
Ring-enhancing brain lesions in AIDS
Toxoplasma gondii, CNS lymphoma
92
Sheets of medium-sized lymphoid cells with scattered pale, tangible body-laden macrophages ("starry sky" histology)
Burkitt lymphoma (t[8:14] c-myc activation, associated with EBV; "black sky" made up of malignant cells)
93
Silver-staining spherical aggregation of tau proteins in neurons
Pick bodies (Pick disease; progressive dementia, changes in personality)
94
Soap bubble in femur or tibia on x-ray
Giant cell tumor of bone (generally benign)
95
Spikes on basement membrane, "dome-like" subepithelial deposits
Membranous glomerulonephritis (may progress to nephrotic syndrome)
96
Stacks of RBCs
Rouleaux formation (high ESR, multiple myeloma)
97
Stippled vaginal epithelial cells
Clue cells (Gardnerella vaginalis)
98
Tennis racket-shaped cytoplasmic organelles (EM) in Langerhans cells
Birbeck granules (Langerhans cell histiocytosis or histiocytosis X; eosinophilic granuloma)
99
Thrombi made of white/red layers
Lines of Zahn (arterial thrombus, layers of platelets/RBCs)
100
Thumb sign on lateral x-ray
Epiglottitis (Haemophilus influenzae)
101
Thyroid-like appearance of kidney
Chronic bacterial pyelonephritis
102
Tram-tack appearance of capillary loops of glomerular basement membranes on light microscopy
Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
103
Triglyceride accumulation in liver cell vacuoles
Fatty liver disease (alcoholic or metabolic syndrome)
104
Waxy casts with very low urine flow
Chronic end-stage renal disease
105
WBC casts in urine
Acute pyelonephritis
106
WBCs that look "smudged"
CLL (almost always B cell)
107
Wire loop glomerular capillary appearance on light microscopy
Lupus nephropathy
108
Yellowish CSF
Xanthochromia (e.g. due to subarachnoid hemorrhage)
109
CA 19-9
Pancreatic Cancer
110
CA-125
Ovarian Epithelial Tumors
111
Elevated DHEA
Adrenal Neoplasms
112
Elevated beta hCG
Hydatiditform moles, choriocarcinomas, and gestational trophoblastic tumors
113
CEA Marker
Pancreatic and Colorectal Tumors
