Author Question: Which of the following disorders is associated with unintentional weight loss? A. Clinical ... (Read 61 times)

tingc95 · **on:** Jun 25, 2018

Which of the following disorders is associated with unintentional weight loss?

A. Clinical depression
B. Hyperthyroidism
C. Diabetes
D. All of the above

Question 2

A 28-year-old male complains of fever 101 to 103 degrees for the last week. He reports fatigue, no appetite, sore throat, 7-pound weight loss in the last week, and two episodes of nosebleeds.

The patient reports no medical problems and no current medications. Surgical history is tonsillectomy at five years old. Paternal family history of hypertension and diabetes; father alive age 50. Maternal history: no significant disorders. Denies use of tobacco, occasional alcohol use on weekends. Denies unsafe sex. No recent travel. On review of systems, night sweats and dyspnea on exertion are noted. Which of the following should be considered in the differential diagnosis?
A. HIV infection
B. Malignancy
C. Thrombocytopenia
D. Tuberculosis

jxjsniuniu · **Reply #1 on:** Jun 25, 2018

Answer to Question 1

ANS: D
Unexplained weight loss is considered significant if it is greater than 5 of the ususal body weight over a 6- to 12-month period and often idicates a serious medical or psychological illness.

Answer to Question 2

ANS: B
Many malignancies can cause fever, but lymphoma and leukemia should be at the top of the differential list. Acute leukemia is more common in children, and the chronic leukemias are more common in middle-aged to elderly adults. Hodgkin's lymphoma is more prevalent in children and young adults, although the peak for incidence is bimodal and can be seen in patients over the age of 60. Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma is more common in middle-aged to elderly adults. Burkitt's lymphoma is more common in HIV patients. With leukemia, common symptoms include unexplained fever, easy bruising or bleeding, fatigue, bone or joint pain, and enlarged liver or spleen. With lymphoma, common symptoms include fatigue, fever, night sweats, lymphadenopathy, and weight loss.