Clinical consultation cases Flashcards
Consultation - what are the symptoms of acromegaly?
Insidious onset of symptoms.
Tumour - headaches, visual field defects.
Excess GH - enlargement of hands and feet, frontal bossing, thickened nose, enlarged tongue.
Hyperprolactinaemia - galactorrhoea, amenorrhoea.
What examination features would you expect to see in acromegaly?
Bitemporal hemianopia
Enlarged hands and feet
Frontal bossing
Macroglossia
Prognathism
Excessive sweating
Given the findings of frontal bossing, macroglossia, headaches what is your preferred diagnosis and differentials?
Acromegaly
Due to: pituitary adenoma, ectopic GH secretion from non-endocrine tumours
DDx:
Pseudo-acromegaly - similar feature but no elevated GH or IGF-1
Hyperinsulinaemia
How would you investigate for acromegaly?
Blood glucose
Bloods - phosphate, calcium, triglycerides - can be raised
IGF-1 screening - sensitive but not specific
Oral glucose tolerance test to confirm raised IGF-1
Pituitary hormone assessment - prolactin, adrenal, thyroid, gonadal hormones
MRI pituitary and hypothalamus
Visual field testing
What is acromegaly?
Disorder caused by excessive secretion of growth hormone causing an overgrowth of organ systems, bones, joints, and soft tissues.
What are the complications of acromegaly?
Hypertension
Diabetes
Obstructive sleep apnoea
Increased colonic polyps and adenocarcinoma of the colon
Hypopituitarism after surgery or radiotherapy
How would you manage a patient with acromegaly?
MDT approach including endocrinologist, geneticist for counselling.
Aim is symptom control from tumour and excessive hormone production.
Trans-sphenoidal surgery.
Can have adjuvant drug treatment after (somatostatin analogue like ocreotide or dopamine agonist like bromocriptine) or radiotherapy.
Consultation - what are the symptoms of ankylosing spondylitis?
Insidious onset of symptoms over months to years, usually presented before the age of 30 years.
Systemic - fever, weight loss, fatigue.
Inflammatory back pain - morning stiffness, improves with physical activity, nonspecific buttock pain from sacoiliitis.
Peripheral joints - enthesitis (Achilles tendonitis and plantar fasciitis), and arthritis.
Extra-articular - uveitis, psoriasis, IBD.
What is the prognosis of acromegaly?
Increased all-cause mortality due to cardiovascular risks but if GH secretion is controlled then life expectancy normalises.
What examination features would you expect to see in ankylosing spondylitis?
Tenderness of the sacroiliac joints.
Limited spinal motion.
Loss of lumbar lordosis, buttock atrophy, exaggerated thoracic kyphosis (question mark posture).
Chest expansion reduced.
Lateral lumbar flexion and forward lumbar flexion is reduced.
Schober’s test - thoracolumbar back examination.
Given the findings of uveitis, long standing back pain with reduced lumbar spine motion what is your preferred diagnosis and differentials?
Ankylosing spondylitis
DDx:
Mechanical back pain
Inflammatory - RA, psoriatic arthritis, reactive arthritis
Degenerative - OA
Infection - TB
Neoplasms
Fractures
Spinal stenosis
What is ankylosing spondylitis?
Chronic spondylarthropathy involving the axial skeleton.
How would you manage a patient with ankylosing spondylitis?
MDT approach with rheumatology specialty input.
Conservative - no cure, physiotherapy and postural training, hydrotherapy.
Medical - NSAIDs for symptoms, additional analgesics, local steroid injection e.g. sacroiliitis, TNF-alpha inhibitors e.g. adalimumab.
Surgical - corrective osteotomy and stabilisation for severe kyphosis.
How would you investigate for ankylosing spondylitis?
Bloods - FBC, inflammatory markers, RhF/ANA/HLA.
X-rays - sacroiliitis or enthesitis, squaring of the vertebral bodies.
MRI.
DEXA for osteoporosis.
What are the complications of ankylosing spondylitis?
Spinal fusion
Spinal fracture
Cauda equina
Hip involvement
What is the prognosis of ankylosing spondylitis?
Variable course but progressive and irreversible
Increased risk of spinal fractures
Consultation - what are the symptoms of Cushing’s disease?
Changes to face - facial fullness/moon facies.
Increased weight - truncal obesity, supraclavicular fat pads, buffalo hump.
Psychological - depression, emotional lability.
Irregular menses.
Thirst, polydipsia, polyuria.
Headaches if ACTH pituitary tumour.
What examination features would you expect to see in Cushing’s disease?
Truncal obesity
Moon facies
Proximal muscle wasting and weakness
Hypertension
Skin - atrophy, purple striae, easy bruising, hirsutism, acne
Oedema
Given the findings of increased weight, hypertension, easy bruising and hirsutism what is your preferred diagnosis and differentials?
Cushing’s syndrome
DDx:
Anxiety/depression
Prolonged alcohol consumption causing Cushingoid appearance
Obesity
Poorly controlled diabetes
What is Cushing’s disease?
Prolonged exposure to elevated glucocorticoids. 80% due to pituitary adenomas (disease rather than syndrome).
How would you investigate for Cushing’s disease?
Bloods - FBC raised WCC, hypokalaemia
24 hour urinary free cortisol - raised
Low-dose dexamethasone suppression test
Midnight cortisol levels - loss of normal diurnal variation
Dexamethasone suppressed corticotropin-releasing hormone - very reliable
Identifying the cause: plasma ACTH
What are the complications of Cushing’s disease?
Metabolic syndrome
Hypertension
Impaired glucose tolerance and diabetes
Obesity
Hyperlipidaemia
Osteoporosis
How would you manage a patient with Cushing’s disease?
MDT approach with specialty endocrinologist input
Medical - metyrapone or ketoconazole to lower cortisol
Surgical - treatment of choice for pituitary or adrenocortical tumours
Pituitary radiotherapy - if persisting post trans-sphenoidal surgery
What is the prognosis of Cushing’s disease?
Mortality now matches age-matched population.
Consultation - what are the symptoms of dermatomyositis?
Rash
Systemic features - fever, arthralgia, malaise, weight loss
GI ulcers and infection
Muscle weakness
What examination features would you expect to see in dermatomyositis?
Rash - blue-purple discolouration on the upper eyelids with periorbital oedema, flat red rash on face and upper trunk, purple-red scaly patches over extensor surfaces of joints and fingers
How would you investigate for dermatomyositis?
Bloods - creatine kinase, LDH, ANA, anti-Mi-2 antibodies (specific but not sensitive), anti-Jo-1 antibodies
Muscle biopsy - can be diagnostic
Given the findings of peripheral weakness and purple rash over the eyes what is your preferred diagnosis and differentials?
Dermatomyositis due to autoimmune or viral.
DDx:
SLE
Systemic sclerosis
RA
Sjogren’s
What is dermatomyositis?
Connective tissue disease with inflammation of the skin and muscles.
How would you manage a patient with dermatomyositis?
MDT approach - rheumatology, physiotherapy for strength, SALT if swallow problem
Non-drug - sun cream.
Drug - steroids, biologics (e.g. TNF-a, IV Ig, rituximab).
What are the complications of dermatomyositis?
GI ulceration
Subcutaneous calcification causing ulceration, infection, bad scarring
Increased malignancy risk
What is the prognosis of dermatomyositis?
2-3 times higher mortality than general population due to cancer, lung and cardiac complications and infections.
Consultation - what are the symptoms of erythema nodosum?
Eruptive phase - fever, aching, arthralgia then rash.
Rash - red, tender nodules 2-6cm with poorly defined borders. Lesions become tense, hard, and painful then later fluctuant.
Aching legs and swollen ankles.
Resolve after 6 weeks-6 months.
What examination features would you expect to see in erythema nodosum?
Red, tender nodules 2-6cm. Can be tense, hard and painful or fluctuant.
Given the findings of red tender lesions on the legs what is your preferred diagnosis and differentials?
Erythema nodosum
Due to: no cause, diabetes, OCP, sarcoidosis, UC/Crohn’s, mycobacteria (TB)
DDx:
Acute urticaria
Vasculitides
Rheumatoid nodules
Superficial thrombophlebitis
What is erythema nodosum?
Hypersensitivity reaction - dermatological manifestation of infectious or other disease.
How would you investigate for erythema nodosum?
Bloods - FBC, ESR and CRP.
Stool sample
Sarcoid - Ca and ACE often raised
CXR - bilateral bilar lymphadenopathy in sarcoid
Intradermal skin tests if need to rule out TB
Excisional biopsy if doubtful of diagnosis
What are the complications of erythema nodosum?
Usually none, heal without atrophy or scarring and chronic/recurrent disease is rare.
How would you manage a patient with erythema nodosum?
Mostly self-limiting so need symptomatic relief only - NSAIDs and colchicine, steroids may be helpful if not infective.
Consultation - what are the symptoms of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Rapidly enlarging thyroid gland - can cause dyspnoea, pain, goitre.
Hypothyroidism symptoms - faitgue, constipation, dry skin, weight gain, cold intolerance, slowed movement, lethargy, decreased sweating, peripheral neuropathy, menstrual irregularities, depression, memory problems, hair loss.
What is the prognosis of erythema nodosum?
Usually resolves within 6 weeks but can go on longer if underlying cause persisting.
What examination features would you expect to see in Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Goitre - can be painful
Dry skin
Decreased sweating
Peripheral neuropathy
Myxoedema coma - confusion, apathy, lethargy, facial puffiness and macroglossia, hair loss, bradycardia
Given the findings of weight gain, low mood, cold intolerance, goitre what is your preferred diagnosis and differentials?
Hashimotos’ thyroiditis
DDx:
Hypothyroid
Associations: Addison’s, DM, hypogonadism, pernicious anaemia
What is Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Autoimmune disease causing goitrous hypothyroidism.
How would you investigate for Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Thyroid gland - lymphocytic and plasma cell infiltration
Bloods - TSh levels raised, thyroid autoantibodies (anti-thyroid peroxidase and anti-thyroglobulin)
Thyroid ultrasound
Radioactive iodine uptake and scan
What are the complications of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Over-replacement with thyroxine causes tachycardia and bone loss
Hyperlipidaemia if untreated
Hashimoto’s encephalopathy
Myxoedema coma
How would you manage a patient with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Drugs - thyroid hormone replacement titrated to patient’s needs
Surgical - if goitre causing obstructive symptoms or malignant nodule
What is the prognosis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis?
Normal if on replacement therapy
Consultation - what are the symptoms of a goitre?
Usually asymptomatic
May have been noticed by family or seen in mirror
Can have pain or rarely compression of the trachea
What examination features would you expect to see in a goitre?
Movement of thyroid with swallow - inspect then feel with 2nd and 3rd fingers of both hands as they swallow again
Note enlargement, asymmetry, size, tenderness
Feel for regional lymphadenopathy
Given the findings of lump in neck which moves down on swallowing what is your preferred diagnosis and differentials?
Goitre
Due to: simple goitre (non-functioning nodules), functioning nodules, retrosternal/hyperplasic/colloid nodules, thyroid adenoma/carcinoma, Graves’ disease, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, De Quervain’s thyroiditis
DDx:
Thyroglossal cyst
Branchial cyst
Pharyngeal pouch
Lymph nodes
How would you manage a patient with a goitre?
Depends on cause.
Functioning (deranged TFTs) and no red flags - refer to endocrinologist.
Non-functioning or red flags - 2WW pathway.
What is a goitre?
Enlargement of the thyroid gland - can be from a solitary nodule or multinodular.
How would you investigate for a goitre?
Bloods - TFTs to see if non functioning or functioning, CEA if thyroid cancer suspected.
Ultrasound.
Fine-needle aspiration.
CT or MRI - look for LN or spread if neoplastic cause.
What are the complications of a goitre?
Tracheal or oeseophageal compression
Pain
What is the prognosis of a goitre?
Depends on cause, if simple should self resolve.
Consultation - what are the symptoms of lupus pernio?
New rash on nose, ears, cheeks and lips - may ulcerate. Usually asymptomatic but can have itch or pain.
75% have pulmonary sarcoidosis - dry cough, fever, dyspnoea, chest discomfort.
Constitutional symptoms - fever, fatigue, cachexia.