Learning Objectives Flashcards
What are hypertrophic and keloid scars and what is the difference?
Hypertrophic - exaggerated normal remodelling response, within wound margins, improves over time and responds to steroids and pressure
Keloid - extends beyong wound margins and progresses over time, more common with darker skin, less responsive to steroids and pressure
What are the management options for dupuytrens contracture?
Nothing
Limited Fasciectomy
Radical Fasciectomy
Fasciotomy
Amputation
What are some causes of dupuytrens contracture?
Alcohol
Congenital
Work
Epileptic drugs
Diabetes
What are the main differential diagnoses for dysphagia?
Oesophageal cancer
Achalasia
Oesophageal Stricture
Stroke
Parkinsons
What are the investigations for dysphagia?
Video swallow
Gastroscopy
Barium swallow
CT
Manometry
Endoscopic US
What is the management for some differentials for dysphagia (pharyngeal pouch, oesopahgeal cancer, stricture, hiatus hernia, achalasia)?
Pharyngela Pouch - surgical repair
Cancer - surgery, adjuvant therapy
Stricture - surgical dilation, PPI, fundoplication
Hiatus Hernia - laporascopic repair
Achalasia - divide LOS, dilation
What is the pathophysiology of aortic dissection?
Tear in the aortic intima - more commonly ascending aorta - leads to blood tracking between the intima and the media
What are 5 risk factors associated with aortic dissection?
Hypertension
Aortic Aneurysm
Atherosclerosis
Male/increasing age
Collagen disorder - marfans, ehlers danlos
What is the presentation of an aortic dissection?
Tearing pain radiating to the back +/- syncope
What are the investigations and management for aortic dissection?
Investigations - BP different in each arm, D-dimer, CT
Management - analgesia, antihypertensives, beta blockers, surgery
What is the pathophysiology and presentation of Marfan syndrome?
Pathophys - defect in fibrillin 1 gene, autosomal dominant, trouble producing elastin
Presentation - long bone excess growth, mitral valve prolapse, aortic regurg, joints lax, pectus carinatum (pigeon chest), scoliosis
What is the investigation and management for Marfan syndrome?
Investigation - genetic testing, echo
Management - surgery, observation
What are the common sites of berry aneurysm?
Posterior communicating and anteroir communicating arteires - branch points where vessels are weakest and are anastomosing
What is a complication of berry aneurysm rupture and what is the treatment?
SAH - vasospasm few days later due to breakdown of blood products - treat with papaverine (vasodilation)
What is thrombophilia and what may cause it?
Increased tendency of the blood to clot
Causes
- Factor V leiden
- Prothrombin mutation
- Protein C, S, antithrombin deficiency
- Antiphospholipid syndrome
What are the most common presentations of thrombophilia?
DVT
PE
What is the pathophysiology of vasculitis?
Inflammatory leucocytes in vein walls causing reactive damage and loss of vessel integrity - bleeding and downstream tissue ischaemia and necrosis
What are the risk factors for vasculitis?
Smoking
HTN
Hypercholesterolaemia
Infection
What is the pharmacological management for vasculitis?
Methotrexate
Prednisolone
Cyclophosphamide
What are the classifications of vasculitis?
Large vessel
- Giant cell
- Takayasu
Medium vessel
- Polyarteritis
- Kawasaki
Small vessel
- ANCA
- Immune complex
- Good pastures
- IgA vasculitis
- Autoimmune - SLE
What are the normal ranges of ABGs?
pH= 7.35-7.45
PaCO2= 35-45mmHg
PaO2=100 (>85)mmHg
HCO3= 22-30
SaO2 95-100%
What is the acute management for raised ICP?
Maintain ICP at less than 20-25mmHg (dexamethasone, mannitol)
Avoid aggravating factors: obstruction of venous return (head position, agitation), respiratory problems (airway obstruction, hypoxia, hypercapnia), fever, sever hypertension, hyponatremia, anaemia, seizures
Sedation
Drainage of CSF
Osmotherapy with mannitol or hypertonic saline
What are the risk factors for dementia?
Age
ApoE4 mutation
Head trauma
Smoking
Education
Vascular disease
Diabetes
Lewy body disease
What are the featrues of Alzheimers?
Memory loss
Loss of social and occupational functioning
Diminished executive function
Speech and motor deficits
Personality change
Behaviour and psychological disturbance
What is the treatment for an ischaemic stroke?
Thrombolysis (tPA - ateplase) within 4 hours of symptom onset
Aspirin
Fibrinolytic therapy
Antiplatelet
Mechanical thrombectomy - clot retrieval
What are the causative agents of meningitis and their CSF features?
What are the signs and symptoms of meningitis?
Headache
Rash
Neck stiffness
Photophobia
Nausea and vomiting
Fever
What is required for diagnosis of MS?
More than one episode of demyelination or evidence of more than one lesion on MRI
What may be the first presentation of MS?
White middle aged woman - temporary visual or sensory loss (optic neuritis)
What are the common causes of abdominal distension?
Flatus
Faeces
Foetus
Fluid
Fat
Fing big tumour
What is the investigation for bowel obstruction?
CXR - free fluid under the diaphragm
Supine AXR - dilated loops of bowel
Erect AXR - air fluid levels (>3 is abnormal)
What antigen is raised in colorectal cancer?
CEA - only of use if it is high on diagnosis to look at after treatment to see value dropping (may also be elevated normally in smokers)
What are the major risks of scope procedures and what anaesthetic method is used?
Perforation and haemorrhage
Sedation - propofol
What is a Hartmanns procedure?
Sigmoidectomy without anastomoses (colostomy bag) –> can come back after ~3 months and assess for rejoining (can bring out a temporary ileostomy to reduce stress on recently joined anastomoses)
Patient presents with eye pain worse with movement and colour vision is dulled and there may be loss of vision. What is the likely pathology and how can this be tested?
Optic neuritis
Swinging light test - afferent pupillary defect
What are the causes of a hydrocoele?
Primary - idiopathic (bilateral)
Secondary - cancer, mumps, epidiymal orchitis, trauma
What are the tumour markers for testicular cancer?
LDH
Beta-hcg
alpha-fetoprotein
Where do the testicular lymph nodes drain?
Paraaortic nodes
What are some signs and symptoms for SBO?
Nausea and vomiting (fecalant material)
No flatus
Absolute constipation
Abdominal distension
What are the management steps for a SBO?
Fluid resuscitation
NGT
Surveillance - most resolve within 48 hours
Nutritional support
Surgery - division of adhesions
What are some causes of spinal cord compression?
Tumour
Abscess
Degeneration - disc prolapse, OP, spondylosis, canal stenosis
Infection
Haematoma
Developmental - syrinx (fluid filled cavity in spinal cord), cyst
What are the red flags of back pain?
Hx of cancer
Sciatica
Pain at rest
Pain not relieved by analgesia
Fatigue, night sweats, loss of weight/appetite
Age < 20 or > 50
Glucocorticoid use
IVDU
Rapid progression
> 1 month duration
What is the cause of cervical myelopathy and how does a patient present?
Cause is usually cervical vertebrae degeneration and canal stenosis in the elderly
LMN signs in upper limbs and UMN signs in lower limbs with neck pain
What may be the presenting complaints of a patient experiencing cauda equina compression?
Urinary retention/trouble initiating urination or incontinence
Constipation and faecal incontinence
Where is a spinal malignancy most commonly found?
Thoracolumbar region - dual blood supply
Where is a spinal abscess usually found and how does one present?
Thoracolumbar region - dual blood supply
Pain, neurological deficit, fever, diaphoresis, fatigue
What are the presenting symptoms of perianal disease?
PR bleeding
Pain
Anal lumps/swellings
Itch
Discharge
What are some PAINFUL perianal conditions?
Anal fissure
Haemorrhoids (strangulated)
Haematoma
Abscess
Anal cancer
Proctalgia fugax
What are some PAINLESS perianal conditions?
Fistula
Skin tags
Haemorrhoids (1st, 2nd, 3rd degree)
Low rectal cancer
Rectal prolapse
Polyps
Warts
Pruritis ani
What are the investigations for perianal pathology?
DRE (contraindicated with pain)
Sigmoidioscopu
Proctoscopy
What are the management options for an anal fissure?
Topical analgesia
Stool softener (Coloxyl + Senna)
Sitz bath
Rectogesic ointment - GTN (vasodilation to promote healing)
Nifedipine
Botox injection to intersphincteric space
Lateral sphincterotomty
- More indicated in males
- May lead to flatus incontinence, especially in females
Fissurectomy
What are the management options for perianal abscess?
Drainage
Antibiotics
(Surgery)
What are the management options for haemorrhoids?
1st (internal) - High fibre diet (reduce constipation), injection sclerotherapy, phenol in almond oil
2nd (protrude on defecation) - Diet modification, rubber band ligation
3rd (usually protruding) - Haemorrhoidectomy
4th (strangulated, painful) - Analgesia and surgery
What are the management options for anal warts?
Improve hygeine
HPV vaccine
Local excision
(Chemoirradiation therapy)
What are the management options for pruritis ani?
Topical steroid
Antifungal
Oral antihistamine
Avoid excessive wiping
Excise skin tags
What are the management options for low rectal cancer?
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Surgical removal
- Low anterior resection (high risk of faecal incontinence)
- Abdomino-perineal excision - removal of rectum and anus, permanent stoma
What are the management options for anal cancer?
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Abdominoperineal resection - permanent stoma
What is this pathology, the presentation and management?
Orbital Cellulitis
Painful red eye, fever, malaise
Surgical drainage and IV antibiotics
What is this pathology and what is the presentation and management?
Pterygium
Impaired ocular appearance, vision loss
Treat with topical lubricants and surgery
What is this pathology and what is the management?
Subconjunctival haemorrhage
Self resolving
What is this pathology, the presentation and management?
Scleritis
Aching pain, impaird vision
Urgent referral to opthalmologist
What is this pathology and the management?
Foreign body
Removal via surgery
What is this pathology and the management?
Hyphaema
Usually occurs due to blunt trauma
Treat with topical steroids and cycloplegics
What is this pathology, the presentation and management?
Acute angle closure glaucoma
Painful unilateral red eye, worsening vision, sudden onset
Acetaxolamide, beta blocker, steroids, laser
Patient presents with flashes of light and blurred vision, what is the pathology?
Retinal detachment
What is this pathology and the management?
Keratoconus
Need hard contact lenses or corneal transplant
Patient presents with dull colour vision, blurred vision and glare, what is the likely pathology?
Cataract
Need lens transplant
Patient presents with sudden painless unilateral vision loss and this fundoscopy view, what is the pathology?
Central retinal artery occlusion
Patient presents with sudden painless unilateral vision loss and this fundoscopy view, what is the pathology?
Central retinal vein occlusion
Patient presents with rapid decrease in central vision, metamorphosphia and central scotoma, what is the pathology and treatment?
Wet macular degeneration - anti-VEGF injections every 4-6 weeks for life
Patient presents with a gradual decrease in central vision and central scotoma, what is the pathology and treatment?
Dry macular degeneration - vitamin supplementation
What are the common benign breast conditions and their presentations?
Fibrocystic - scar tissue, rubbery and firm
Fibroadenoma - small lumps
Mastitis - breast enlarged due to infection (more common when breastfeeding) - staph aureus - manage with flucloxacillin
Fat Necrosis - lumps when areas of fatty breast tissue are damaged
Calcification - non painful, non palpable
What are the pros and cons of investigations for breast disease (mammogram, US, FNA, core biopsy)
Mammogram: early screening to pick up small cancers, lots of lesions picked up that may have never been a problem, radiation exposure
US: doesn’t pick up all calcification, non-invasive
FNA: can work out nature of lesion, quick and simple, brusing bleeding and infection, seeding risk (displace tumour cells)
Core Needle Biopsy - tissue type lesion, haematoma, not always feasible for lesion in tricky spot
What is key for home breast examinations?
Better to examine breasts after a period - hormone levels are low and breasts should be at their ‘normal’
Look for even shaping and colour
Nipple changes, redness, rash, swelling, dimpling of skin –> consult doctor
Roll over breast while lying down to feel for lumps
What are the most common type of renal stones and what are the risk factors?
Calcium Oxalate
Risks: dehydration, high sodium diet, fam hx, climate, anatomical abnormalities