Causes of ...

Question 1

Breathlessness

A A C D P P P P P P

Answer 1

• ACS
• Asthma
• COPD
• DKA
• Panic Attack
• Pericarditis
• Pneumonia
• Pneumothorax
• PE
• Pulmonary Oedema/Heart Failure

Question 2

Chest Pain

A B G H M P P P P P S S S

Answer 2

• ACS
• Bony Chest Pain (mets)
• GORD
• HOCM
• Myocarditis
• Panic Attack
• Pericarditis
• Pneumonia
• Pneumothorax
• PE
• Sickle Cell Crisis
• Soft Tissue/MSK
• Stable Angina

Question 3

Dysphagia (Pharyngeal/Oesophageal)

M M A P B C

Answer 3

• MND
• MG
• Upper Oesophageal Achalasia
• Polio
• Botulism
• CVA (affecting CN 9, 10, 12)

Question 4

Dysphagia (Oesophageal)

A S L

Answer 4

• Achalasia
• Oesophageal Spasm
• Luminal Obstruction (stricture, bolus, carcinoma, trauma)

Question 5

Dysphagia (External)

G L D V M D

Answer 5

• Retrosternal Goitre
• Lung Cancer
• Pharyngeal Diverticulum
• Vascular Abnormality (AAA, enlarged heart)
• Mediastinal Mass
• Diabetes

Question 6

Third Nerve Palsy

Answer 6

• Diabetes mellitus
• Vasculitis e.g. temporal arteritis, SLE
• False localizing sign due to uncal herniation through tentorium if raised ICP
• Posterior communicating artery aneurysm (pupil dilated)
• Cavernous sinus thrombosis
• Weber’s syndrome: ipsilateral third nerve palsy with contralateral hemiplegia -caused by midbrain strokes
  other possible causes: amyloid, multiple sclerosis

Question 7

Addison’s

Answer 7

Autoimmune destruction of the adrenal glands is the commonest cause of hypoadrenalism in the UK, accounting for 80% of cases.

Primary causes

• Tuberculosis
• Metastases (e.g. bronchial carcinoma)
• Meningococcal septicaemia (Waterhouse-Friderichsen syndrome)
• HIV
• Antiphospholipid syndrome

Secondary causes
- Pituitary disorders (e.g. tumours, irradiation, infiltration)

Exogenous glucocorticoid therapy

Question 8

Erythema Nodosum

Answer 8

• Infection: streptococci, TB, brucellosis
• Systemic disease: sarcoidosis, inflammatory bowel disease, Behcet’s
• Malignancy/lymphoma
• Drugs: penicillins, sulphonamides, combined oral contraceptive pill
• Pregnancy

Question 9

Acanthosis Nigricans

Answer 9

• Gastrointestinal cancer
• Diabetes mellitus
• Obesity
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Acromegaly
• Cushing’s disease
• Hypothyroidism
• Familial
• Prader-Willi syndrome
• Drugs: oral contraceptive pill, nicotinic acid

Question 10

Erythema Multiforme

Answer 10

• Viruses: herpes simplex virus (the most common cause), Orf
• Idiopathic
• Bacteria: Mycoplasma, Streptococcus
• Drugs: penicillin, sulphonamides, carbamazepine, allopurinol, NSAIDs, oral contraceptive pill, nevirapine
• Connective tissue disease e.g. Systemic lupus erythematosus
• Sarcoidosis
• Malignancy