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USMLE Step I > Classic Labs/Findings > Flashcards

Classic Labs/Findings Flashcards

1
Q

Anticentromere antibodies

A

Scleroderma (CREST)

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2
Q

Antidesmoglein (epithelial) antibodies

A

Pemphigus vulgaris (blistering)

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3
Q

Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies

A

Goodpasture’s syndrome (glomerulonephritis and hemoptysis)

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4
Q

Antihistone antibodies

A

Drug-induced SLE (hydralazine, isoniazid, phenytoin, procainamide)

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5
Q

Anti-IgG IgM antibodies

A

Rheumatoid arthritis (systemic inflammation, joint pannus, boutonniere deformity)

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6
Q

Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs)

A

1° biliary cirrhosis (female, cholestasis, portal hypertension)

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7
Q

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs)

A

Vasculitis (c-ANCA: granulomatosis with polyangiitis [Wegener’s]; p-ANCA: microscopic polyangiitis, Churg­ Strauss syndrome)

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8
Q

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs: anti-Smith and anti-dsDNA)

A

SLE (type III hypersensitivity)

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9
Q

Antiplatelet antibodies

A

Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura

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10
Q

Anti-topoisomerase antibodies (anti-Scl-70)

A

Diffuse systemic scleroderma

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11
Q

Anti-transglutaminase/anti-gliadin/anti-endomysial antibodies

A

Celiac disease (diarrhea, distention, weight loss)

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12
Q

“Apple core” lesion on abdominal x-ray

A

Colorectal cancer (usually left-sided)

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13
Q

Azurophilic peroxidase-positive granular inclusions in

granulocytes and myeloblasts

A

Auer rods (acute myelogenous leukemia, especially the promyelocytic (M3] type)

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14
Q

Bacitracin response

A

Sensitive: Streptococcus pyogenes (group A); resistant: Streptococcus agalactiae (group B)

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15
Q

“Bamboo spine” on x-ray

A

Ankylosing spondylitis (chronic inflammatory arthritis: HLA-B27)

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16
Q

Basophilic nuclear remnants in RBCs

A

Howell-Jolly bodies (clue to splenectomy or nonfunctional spleen)

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17
Q

Basophilic stippling of RBCs

A

Lead poisoning or sideroblastic anemia

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18
Q

Bloody tap on LP

A

Subarachnoid hemorrhage

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19
Q

“Boot shaped” heart on x-ray

A

Tetralogy of Fallot, RVH

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20
Q

Branching gram-positive rods with sulfur granules

A

Actinomyces israelii

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21
Q

Bronchogenic apical lung tumor on imaging

A

Pancoast tumor (can compress sympathetic ganglion and cause Horner’s syndrome)

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22
Q

“Brown” tumor of bone

A

Hyperparathyroidism or osteitis fibrosa cystica (deposited

hemosiderin from hemorrhage gives brown color)

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23
Q

Cardiomegaly with apical atrophy

A

Chagas’ disease (Trypanosoma cruzi)

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24
Q

Cellular crescents in Bowman’s capsule

A

Rapidly progressive crescentic glomerulonephritis

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25
Q

“Chocolate cyst” of ovary

A

Endometriosis (frequently involves both ovaries)

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26
Q

Circular grouping of dark tumor cells surrounding pale neurofibrils

A

Homer-Wright rosettes (neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma,

retinoblastoma)

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27
Q

Colonies of mucoid Pseudomonas in lungs

A

Cystic fibrosis (autosomal-recessive mutation in CFTR resulting in fat-soluble vitamin deficiency and mucous plugs)

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28
Q

Decreased a-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid/maternal serum

A

Down syndrome or other chromosomal abnormality

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29
Q

Degeneration of dorsal column nerves

A

Tabes dorsalis (3° syphilis), subacute combined degeneration (dorsal columns and lateral corticospinal tracts affected)

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30
Q

Depigmentation of neurons in substantia nigra

A

Parkinson’s disease (basal ganglia disorder: rigidity, resting tremor, bradykinesia)

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31
Q

Desquamated epithelium casts in sputum

A

Curschmann’s spirals (bronchial asthma; can result in whorled mucous plugs)

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32
Q

Disarrayed granulosa cells in eosinophilic fluid

A

Call-Exner bodies (granulosa-theca cell tumor of the ovary)

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33
Q

Dysplastic squamous cervical cells with nuclear enlargement and hyperchromasia

A

Koilocytes (HPV: predisposes to cervical cancer)

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34
Q

Enlarged cells with intranuclear inclusion bodies

A

“Owl’s eye” appearance of CMV

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35
Q

Enlarged thyroid cells with ground-glass nuclei

A

“Orphan Annie’s eyes” nuclei (papillary carcinoma of the

thyroid)

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36
Q

Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion in liver cell

A

Mallory bodies (alcoholic liver disease)

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37
Q

Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion in nerve cell

A

Lewy body (Parkinson’s disease)

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38
Q

Eosinophilic globule in liver

A

Councilman body (toxic or viral hepatitis, often yellow fever)

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39
Q

Eosinophilic inclusion bodies in cytoplasm of hippocampal nerve cells

A

Negri bodies of rabies (Lyssavirus)

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40
Q

Extracellular amyloid deposition in gray matter of brain

A

Senile plaques (Alzheimer’s disease)

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41
Q

Giant B cells with bilobed nuclei with prominent inclusions

“owl’s eye”

A

Reed-Sternberg cells (Hodgkin’s lymphoma)

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42
Q

Glomerulus-like structure surrounding vessel in germ cells

A

Schiller-Duval bodies (yolk sac tumor)

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43
Q

“Hair on end” (crew-cut) appearance on x-ray

A

B-thalassemia, sickle cell anemia (marrow expansion)

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44
Q

hCG elevated

A

Choriocarcinoma, hydatidiform mole (occurs with and

without embryo)

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45
Q

Heart nodules (granulomatous)

A

Aschoff bodies (rheumatic fever)

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46
Q

Heterophile antibodies

A

Infectious mononucleosis (EBV)

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47
Q

Hexagonal, double-pointed, needle-like crystals in bronchial secretions

A

Bronchial asthma (Charcot-Leyden crystals: eosinophilic granules)

48
Q

High level of D-dimers

A

DVT, pulmonary embolism, DIC

49
Q

Hilar lymphadenopathy, peripheral granulomatous lesion in middle or lower lung lobes (can calcify)

A

Ghon complex (1st degree TB: Mycobacterium bacilli)

50
Q

Honeycomb lung” on x-ray or CT

A

Interstitial pulmonary fibrosis

51
Q

Hypercoagulability (leading to migrating DVTs and vasculitis)

A

Trousseau’s syndrome (adenocarcinoma of pancreas or lung)

52
Q

Hypersegmented neutrophils

A 
Megaloblastic anemia (B12 deficiency: neurologic symptoms;
folate deficiency: no neurologic symptoms)
53
Q

Hypertension, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis

A

Conn’s syndrome

54
Q

Hypochromic, microcytic anemia

A

Iron deficiency anemia, lead poisoning, thalassemia (fetal hemoglobin sometimes present)

55
Q

Increased a-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid/maternal serum

A

Dating error, anencephaly, spina bifida (neural tube defects)

56
Q

Increased uric acid levels

A

Gout, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, tumor lysis syndrome, loop and thiazide diuretics

57
Q

Intranuclear eosinophilic droplet-like bodies

A

Cowdry type A bodies (HSV or CMV)

58
Q

Iron-containing nodules in alveolar septum

A

Ferruginous bodies (asbestosis: increased chance of mesothelioma)

59
Q

Keratin pearls on a skin biopsy

A

Squamous cell carcinoma

60
Q

Large lysosomal vesicles in phagocytes, immunodeficiency

A

Chediak-Higashi disease (congenital failure of phagolysosome formation)

61
Q

“Lead pipe” appearance of colon on barium enema x-ray

A

Ulcerative colitis (loss of haustra)

62
Q

Linear appearance of lgG deposition on glomerular basement membrane

A

Goodpasture’s syndrome

63
Q

Low serum ceruloplasmin

A

Wilson’s disease (hepatolenticular degeneration)

64
Q

“Lumpy bumpy” appearance of glomeruli on immunofluorescence

A

Poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis (immune complex deposition of lgG and C3b)

65
Q

Lytic (“hole punched”) bone lesions on x-ray

A

Multiple myeloma

66
Q

Mammary gland (“blue domed”) cyst

A

Fibrocystic change of the breast

67
Q

Monoclonal antibody spike

A

• Multiple myeloma (usually lgG or lgA)

• Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance
(MGUS ; normal consequence of aging)

  • Waldenstrom’s (M protein = IgM) macroglobulinemia
  • Primary amyloidosis
68
Q

Mucin-filled cell with peripheral nucleus

A

Signet ring (gastric carcinoma)

69
Q

Narrowing of bowel lumen on barium x-ray

A

“String sign” (Crohn’s disease)

70
Q

Necrotizing vasculitis (lungs) and necrotizing glomerulonephritis

A

Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s; c-ANCA positive) and Goodpasture’s syndrome (anti-basement membrane antibodies)

71
Q

Needle-shaped, negatively birefringent crystals

A

Gout (monosodium urate crystals)

72
Q

Nodular hyaline deposits in glomeruli

A

Kimmelstiel-Wilson nodules (diabetic nephropathy)

73
Q

Novobiocin response

A

Sensitive: Staphylococcus epidermidis; resistant: Staphylococcus saprophyticus

74
Q

“Nutmeg” appearance of liver

A

Chronic passive congestion of liver due to right heart failure

75
Q

“Onion skin” periosteal reaction

A

Ewing’s sarcoma (malignant round-cell tumor)

76
Q

Optochin response

A

Sensitive: Streptococcus pneumoniae; resistant: Viridans streptococcus

77
Q

Periosteum raised from bone, creating triangular area

A

Cadman’s triangle on x-ray (osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma,

pyogenic osteomyelitis)

78
Q

Podocyte fusion or “effacement” on electron microscopy

A

Minimal change disease (child with nephrotic syndrome)

79
Q

Polished, “ivory like” appearance of bone at cartilage erosion

A

Eburnation (osteoarthritis resulting in bony sclerosis)

80
Q

Protein aggregates in neurons from hyperphosphorylation of

protein tau

A

Neurofibrillary tangles (Alzheimer’s disease) and Pick’s bodies (Pick’s disease- frontotemporal dementia)

81
Q

Psammoma bodies

A

Meningiomas, papillary thyroid carcinoma, mesothelioma,

papillary serous carcinoma ofthe endometrium and ovary

82
Q

Pseudopalisading tumor cells on brain biopsy

A

Glioblastoma multiforme

83
Q

RBC casts in urine

A

Acute glomerulonephritis

84
Q

Rectangular, crystal-like, cytoplasmic inclusions in Leydig cells

A

Reinke crystals (Leydig cell tumor)

85
Q

Renal epithelial casts in urine

A

Acute toxic/viral nephrosis

86
Q

Rhomboid crystals, positively birefringent

A

Pseudogout (calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate crystals)

87
Q

Rib notching

A

Coarctation ofthe aorta

88
Q

Ring-enhancing brain lesion in AIDS

A

Toxoplasma gondii, CNS lymphoma

89
Q

Sheets of medium-sized lymphoid cells with scattered pale, tingible body-laden macrophages (“starry sky” histology)

A

Burkitt’s lymphoma (t[8:14] c-myc activation, associated with EBV; “black sky” made up of malignant cells)

90
Q

Silver-staining spherical aggregation of tau proteins in neurons

A

Pick bodies (Pick’s disease: progressive dementia, changes in personality)

91
Q

“Soap bubble” in femur or tibia on x-ray

A

Giant cell tumor ofbone (generally benign)

92
Q

“Spikes” on basement membrane, “dome like” subepithelial deposits

A 
Membranous glomerulonephritis (may progress to nephrotic
syndrome)
93
Q

Stacks of RBCs

A

Rouleaux formation (high ESR, multiple myeloma)

94
Q

Stippled vaginal epithelial cells

A

“Clue cells” (Gardnerella vaginalis)

95
Q

“Tennis racket” shaped cytoplasmic organelles (EM) in

Langerhans cells

A 
Birbeck granules (Langerhans cell histiocytosis or
histiocytosis X: eosinophilic granuloma)
96
Q

Thrombi made of white/red layers

A

Lines of Zahn (arterial thrombus, layers of platelets/RBCs)

97
Q

“Thumb sign” on lateral x-ray

A

Epiglottitis (Haemophilus influenzae)

98
Q

Thyroid-like appearance of kidney

A

Chronic bacterial pyelonephritis

99
Q

Tram-track appearance of capillary loops of glomerular

basement membranes on light microscopy

A

Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis

100
Q

Triglyceride accumulation in liver cell vacuoles

A

Fatty liver disease (alcoholic or metabolic syndrome)

101
Q

“Waxy” casts with very low urine flow

A

Chronic end-stage renal disease

102
Q

WBC casts in urine

A

Acute pyelonephritis

103
Q

WBCs that look “smudged”

A

CLL (almost always B cell)

104
Q

“Wire loop” glomerular capillary appearance on light microscopy

A

Lupus nephropathy

105
Q

Yellowish CSF

A

Xanthochromia (e.g., due to subarachnoid hemorrhage)

106
Q

Anti-ACh receptor antibodies

A

Myasthenia Gravis

107
Q

Anticardiolipin antibodies

A

SLE, antiphospholipid syndrome

108
Q

Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD-65) antibodies

A

Type I diabetes mellitus

109
Q

Antihemidesmosome antibodies

A

Bullous pemphigoid

110
Q

Anti-Jo-1, anti-SRP, anti-MI-2 antibodies

A

Polymyositis, dermatomyositis

111
Q

Antimicrosomal, antithyrogobulin antibodies

A

Hashimoto Thyroiditis

112
Q

Anti-smooth muscle antibodies

A

Autoimmune hepatitis

113
Q

Anti-SSA, anit SSB (anti-Ro, anti-La)

A

Sjogren syndrome

114
Q

Anti-TSH receptor

A

Grave’s Disease

115
Q

Anti-U1 RNP (ribonucleoprotein) antibodies

A

Mixed connective tissue disease

USMLE Step I (25 decks)

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