Young woman, palpitations, mid-systolic click + late systolic murmur
Mitral valve prolapse.
Management
asymptomatic MVP discovered incidentally with no or mild MR requires no follow-up or treatment
no antibiotic prophylaxis or activity restrictions are required
refer to cardiology if moderate/severe MR, arrhythmias, or risk factors for sudden cardiac death are present
Marfan, tall male, sudden tearing chest pain → widened mediastinum
Aortic dissection.
Stanford classification
type A - ascending aorta, 2/3 of cases
type B - descending aorta, distal to left subclavian origin, 1/3 of cases
Type A
surgical management, but blood pressure should be controlled to a target systolic of 100-120 mmHg whilst awaiting intervention
Type B*
conservative management
bed rest
reduce blood pressure IV labetalol to prevent progression
Dialysis patient, pericardial rub, widespread saddle-shaped ST elevation
Pericarditis
Post-MI, new pansystolic murmur, pulmonary oedema
papillary muscle rupture (MR).
Young woman, recurrent pneumothorax, diffuse lung cysts
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis
Smoker, nodules + cysts in upper lobes
Langerhans cell histiocytosis.
Features
bone pain, typically in the skull or proximal femur
cutaneous nodules
pituitary involvement: leads to diabetes insipidus due to pituitary stalk involvement
pulmonary involvement: More common in adults, presenting with dyspnoea, cough, and chest pain
recurrent otitis media/mastoiditis
tennis racket-shaped Birbeck granules on electromicroscopy
Farmer, breathlessness, type III hypersensitivity?
Extrinsic allergic alveolitis (Farmer’s lung).
Coal worker, progressive massive fibrosis, upper lobes
Coal worker’s pneumoconiosis.
Elderly, clubbing, bilateral basal crackles, honeycombing
diopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
Unilateral headache, lacrimation, rhinorrhoea, young male
Cluster headache
Weakness worse with use, improves with rest; ptosis, diplopia
Myasthenia gravis.
single fibre electromyography: high sensitivity (92-100%)
antibodies to acetylcholine receptors
long-acting acetylcholinesterase inhibitors
pyridostigmine is first-line
Management of myasthenic crisis
plasmapheresis
intravenous immunoglobulins
Weakness improves with exercise; areflexia, ptosis
Lambert–Eaton
diagnosis - EMG
antibody directed against presynaptic voltage-gated calcium channel in the peripheral nervous system.
Management
treatment of underlying cancer
immunosuppression, for example with prednisolone and/or azathioprine
3,4-diaminopyridine is currently being trialled
works by blocking potassium channel efflux in the nerve terminal so that the action potential duration is increased. Calcium channels can then be open for a longer time and allow greater acetylcholine release to the stimulate muscle at the end plate
intravenous immunoglobulin therapy and plasma exchange may be beneficial
Headache, temporal tenderness, jaw claudication, raised ESR
Temporal arteritis
typically patient > 60 years old
usually rapid onset (e.g. < 1 month)
headache (found in 85%)
jaw claudication (65%)
tender, palpable temporal artery
around 50% have features of PMR: aching, morning stiffness in proximal limb muscles (not weakness)
vision testing is key in all patients
Raised ESR
Temporal artery biospy
Temporal artery doppler
Tx - high dose steroids as soon as diagnosis suspected
Confusion, ataxia, ophthalmoplegia in alcoholic
Wernicke’s encephalopathy
Elderly, lymphocytosis, smudge cells
CLL
Diagnosis is with immunophenotyping
full blood count:
lymphocytosis
anaemia: may occur either due to bone marrow replacement or autoimmune hemolytic anaemia (AIHA)
thrombocytopenia: may occur either due to bone marrow replacement or immune thrombocytopenia (ITP)
Tx patients who have no indications for treatment are monitored with regular blood counts
fludarabine, cyclophosphamide and rituximab (FCR) has now emerged as the initial treatment of choice for the majority of patients
ibrutinib may be used in patients who have failed a previous therapy
Splenomegaly, very high WCC, basophilia, Philadelphia chromosome
CML
Diagnosis - bone marrow aspirate and cytogenics
Management
imatinib is now considered first-line treatment
Auer rods, DIC
AML
Acute myeloid leukaemia is the more common form of acute leukaemia in adults. It may occur as a primary disease or following a secondary transformation of a myeloproliferative disorder.
Diagnosis - Bone marrow aspiration
Child, mediastinal mass, pancytopenia
ALL
Tear-drop poikilocytes, massive splenomegaly
Myelofibrosis
Ix - bloods and bone marrow biopsy
Management
Ruxolitinib is a JAK2 inhibitor and may be used to manage both splenomegaly and constitutional symptoms
Blood transfusions comprise the mainstay of management for anaemia.
Hypertension + hypokalaemia, metabolic alkalosis
Conn’s (primary hyperaldosteronism).
Ix - aldosterone/renin
High resolution CT and adrenal vein sampling
Management
adrenal adenoma: surgery (laparoscopic adrenalectomy)
bilateral adrenocortical hyperplasia: aldosterone antagonist e.g. spironolactone
Palpitations, headache, sweating
Phaeochromocytoma
Tests
24 hr urinary collection of metanephrines (sensitivity 97%)
this has replaced a 24 hr urinary collection of catecholamines (sensitivity 86%)
Surgery is the definitive management. The patient must first however be stabilized with medical management:
alpha-blocker (e.g. phenoxybenzamine), given before a
beta-blocker (e.g. propranolol)
Short 4th/5th metacarpals, hypocalcaemia?
Pseudohypoparathyroidism
Bloods
↑ PTH
↓ calcium
↑ phosphate
Features
short fourth and fifth metacarpals
short stature
learning difficulties
obesity
round face
Investigation
an infusion of PTH followed by measurement of urinary phosphate and cAMP measurement - this can help differentiate between type I (neither phosphate or cAMP levels rise) and II (cAMP rises but phosphate levels do not change)
Amenorrhoea, anosmia
Kallman’s
eatures
‘delayed puberty’
hypogonadism, cryptorchidism
anosmia
sex hormone levels are low
LH, FSH levels are inappropriately low/normal
patients are typically of normal or above-average height
Tx
testosterone supplementation
gonadotrophin supplementation may result in sperm production if fertility is desired later in life
Tall male, small testes, gynaecomastia
Klinefelter’s
Klinefelter’s syndrome is associated with karyotype 47, XXY.
Features
often taller than average
lack of secondary sexual characteristics
small, firm testes
infertile
gynaecomastia - increased incidence of breast cancer
elevated gonadotrophin levels but low testosterone