InsideSurgery Medical Information Blog

Details of surgical procedures, pathophysiology, signs and symptoms, and treatment of medical diseases,medical and surgical eponyms, and surgeons and surgery in the news

  • Home
  • Eponyms
  • Abbreviations
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact

USMLE Questions – Characteristic Disease Findings

January 18, 2013

USMLE questions can be notoriously “picky”. The United States Medical Licensing Examination is designed to emphasize knowledge of clinical scenarios and clinical pearls, even on Step I. Listed below are some commonly encountered disease findings and characteristics that are often included in USMLE questions .

Feature Disease
45, X chromosome Turner’s syndrome
5-HIAA increased in urine Carcinoid syndrome
Aganglionic rectum Hirschsrpung’s disease
Apple-core sign on barium enema Colon cancer
Arched back (opisthotonos) Tetanus
Argyll-Robertson pupil Syphilis
Ash leaf on forehead Tuberous sclerosis
Auer rods Acute myelogenous leukemia
Austin Flint murmur Aortic regurgitation
Backwash ileitis Ulcerative colitis
Baker’s cyst Rheumatoid arthritis
Bamboo spine Ankylosing spondylitis
Bartonella henselae Cat scratch fever
Basophilis stippling of RBCs Lead poisoning
Bilateral lens subluxation Marfan’s disease
Bird’s beak on barium swallow Achalasia
Black-colored urine Acute intermittent porphyria
Black eschars in nose Mucormycosis
Bone spicules in retina Retinitis pigmentosa
Boot-shaped heart on chest radiograph Tetralogy of Fallot
Borrelia burgdorferi Lyme disease
Bouchard’s, Heberden’s nodes Osteoarthritis
Boutonniere deformity of fingers Rheumatoid arthritis
Boxcars under microscope Anthrax
Breslow’s classification Melanoma
Brushfield’s spots Down’s syndrome
Bull-neck edema Diphtheria
Bunch-of-grapes tissue mass Hydatidiform mole
Burkolderia cepacia Cystic fibrosis
Burr’s cells (acanthocytosis) Abetalipoproteinemia
Butterfly rash on face Lupus
Butterfly shape of brain mass on MRI Astrocytoma (glioblastoma)
Button-hole sign Neurofibromatosis
C3 nephritic factor Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
Café-au-lait spots Neurofibromatosis
Calf muscle pseudohypertrophy Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy
c-ANCA positive Wegener’s granulomatosis
Candle-drippings tumor Tuberous sclerosis
Caput medusae Portal hypertension
Chagoma, Romana’s sign Chagas disease
Chain-o-lakes duct Chronic pancreatitis
Charcot-Leyden crystals Asthma
Cherry red spot on macula Tay-Sachs, Niemann-Pick disease
Chinese letter-shaped microbe Diphtheria
Chipmunk facies Beta-thalassemia
Chlamydia trachomatis Lymphogranuloma venereum
Chloride sweat test positive Cystic fibrosis
Chocolate cysts, powder burn tissue Endometriosis
Choreoathetoid movements Huntington’s chorea
Chromosome 5 partial deletion Cri-du-chat
Chvostek’s sign Hypocalcemia
Codman’s triangle Osteosarcoma
Cogwheel rigidity Parkinson’s disease
Complement (CH50) decreased Lupus
Condylomata lata, gummas Syphilis
Congenital bicuspid aortic valve Aortic stenosis
Continuous machinery murmur Patent ductus arteriosus
Cooing-seagull murmur Mitral regurgitation
Coronary artery aneurysms Kawasaki’s disease
Cotton-candy lungs COPD
Courvoisier’s sign Pancreatic cancer
Cowdry type A bodies Herpes
Coxiella burnetii Q fever
Crypt abscesses in bowel mucosa Ulcerative colitis
Curschmann’s spirals asthma
Cystic medial necrosis of aorta Marfan’s disease
Cystic space in spinal cord syringomyelia
Dark lung field pneumothorax
Delta wave on ECG Wolff-Parkinson-White
Doughnut ring in liver on CT Q fever
Drusen Macular degeneration
Dry eyes and mouth Sjogren’s syndrome
Dural tail streak of contrast on CT Menigioma
Dynein arm in cilia missing Kartagener’s syndrome
E antigen Hepatitis B
Eaton-Lambert Small cell lung cancer
Erdrophonium (Tensilon) test positive Myasthenia gravis
Eggshell calcifications in hilar nodes sarcoidosis
Elliptical RBCs Elliptocytosis
Ghon’s complex Tuberculosis
Gleason score Pancreatic cancer
Gluten-caused Celiac sprue
Gowers’ sign Duchenne’s muscular dystrophy
Guarnieri’s bodies Smallpox
Halo, crescent signs on chest radiograph aspergillosis
Ham’s test positive Paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria
Hand-foot syndrome Sickle cell disease
Hemoglobin S Sickle cell disease
HLA-B27 Ankylosing spondylitis, Reiter’s
HLA-B35 De Quervain’s thyroiditis
Homan’s sign Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
Hutchinson’s teeth syphilis
Hypertrophy of gastric folds Menetrier’s disease
Hypopyon uveitis (pus in anterior eye) Behcet’s disease
IgA in mesangium Berger’s disease
IgG in glomerular basement membrane Goodpasture’s disease
“infant Hercules” Congenital hypothyroidism, cretinism
Irregularly irregular pulse Atrial fibrillation
Itchy, scaly skin on nipple Paget’s disease of breast
Janeway spots Bacterial endocarditis
Jarisch-herxheimer reaction Lyme disease, syphilis
Kernig’s, brudzinski’s signs Bacterial meningitis
Koplik’s spots Measles
Kussmaul’s respiration Diabetic ketoacidosis
lanugo Anorexia nervosa
Large motor neuron loss ALS
Lenticonus (anterior conical lens displacement) Alport’s syndrome
Leonine facies leprosy
Leukocoria (white pupil) retinoblastoma
Lewy body Parkinson’s disease
Libman-sacks lesions Lupus
Lip biopsy Sjogren’s syndrome
Lucio’s phenomenon Leprosy
Lytic bone lesions in skull Multiple myeloma
Mcburney’s point tenderness appendicitis
Mid to late systolic click Mitral valve prolapse
Monoclonal spike-protein electrophoresis Multiple myeloma
Moon facies, buffalo hump, striae Cushing’s syndrome
Mousy odor phenylketonuria
Multiple aneurysms in arteries Polyarteritis nodosa
Multiple bone fractures in infants Osteogenesis imperfecta
Murphy’s sign Acute cholecystitis
Negri body Rabies
Neurofibrillary tangles, senile plaques Alzheimer’s disease
Nontender pustular papule with black eschar anthrax
Notched ribs, 3 sign on chest radiograph Coarctation of aorta
Nutmeg liver Congestive heart failure (CHF)
Obturator sign Appendicitis
Omphalomesenteric duct Meckel’s diverticula
Onion-peel tumor on radiograph Ewing’s sarcoma
Osler’s nodes Bacterial endocarditis
Osmotic fragility abnormal spherocytosis
Panacinar emphysema Alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency
p-ANCA positive Churg-Strauss disease
Pancoast’s tumor Squamous cell lung cancer
Paul-Bunnell heterophile antibodies Mononucleosis
Peaked T waves on ECG Hyperkalemai, MI
Pebbling of skin Hunter’s syndrome
Pericardial friction rub Acute pericarditis
Philadelphia chromosome (t9/22) Chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML)
Pipestem fibrosis of liver Schistosomiasis
Plasmodium Malaria
Plucked-chicken skin Pseudoxanthoma elasticum
Podagra, tophi gout
Popcorn cells Hodgkin’s disease
Pretibial myxedema Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto’s disease
Psammoma bodies Papillary thyroid carcinoma
Psoas sign Appendicitis
Q wave on ECG Myocardial infarction
Rachitic rosary chest Rickets
Ranke’s complex Tuberculosis
Ranson’s criteria Acute pancreatitis
Red, swollen Stensen’s duct Mumps
Reed-sternberg cell Hodgkin’s disease
RET gene mutations MEN
Rhodopsin defect Retinitis pigmentosa
Rice-water stools Cholera
Rickettsia rickettsii Rocky mountain spotted fever
Ring hemorrhages in brain Wernicke’s syndrome
Ristocetin cofactor Von Willebrand’s disease
Rose spot rash on trunk Typhoid fever
Roth’s spots Bacterial endocarditis
Rotten egg smell on belching Giardiasis
S1-Q3-T3 on ECG Pulmonary embolus
“safety pin” under microscopy plague
Salty tasting skin Cystic fibrosis
Sawtooth waves on ECG Atrial flutter
Scalloped pupils Familial amyloid polyneuropathy
Sentinel loop on abdominal radiograph Acute pancreatitis
Serotonin secretion increased Carcinoid syndrome
Sezary’s syndrome Mycosis fungoides
Skin crepitus Gas gangrene
Skip areas in bowel Crohn’s disease
Small platelet size Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome
Smudge cell Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)
Snowstorm on ultrasound Hydatidiform mole
Spectrin defects Elliptocytosis
Starry sky pattern in lymph nodes Burkitt’s/non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Strawberry tongue Toxic shock syndrome, typhoid
String sign on barium enema Crohn’s disease
Subclavian arteritis Takayasu’s arteritis
Sunburst tumor osteosarcoma
Swimmer’s itch schistosomiasis
Target/bullseye rash Lyme disease
Tender, pustular papule with black eschar Tularemia
Tennis racket-shaped organism Tetanus
Tennis racket shaped structure inside cell Hand-schuller-christian disease
Tight skin on face, mouth , and eyes scleroderma
Tinel’s, Phalen’s signs Carpal tunnel
Translocation of 11 and 22 chromosomes Ewings sarcoma
Treponema pallidum Syphilis
Trisomy 21 Down’s syndrome
Trypanosome cruzi Chagas’ disease
Two paternal 15 chromosomes Prader-Willi syndrome
Urease breath test Peptic ulcer disease
Vanillylmandelic acid (VMA) increased in urine Neuroblastoma, pheochromocytoma
Warthin-Finkeldey giant cells Measles
Water bottle-shaped heart Acute pericarditis
Water-hammer pulse Aortic regurgitation

 

Wire-loop complexes in mesangium Lupus
“worst headache of my life” CVA
XXY chromosomes Klinefelter’s syndrome
Yersinia pestis Plague
Z deformity of hand Rheumatoid arthritis

 

The key to do answering USMLE questions during the examination is early and intensive preparation. Unfortunately,a poor score may not reflect on what type of physician an examinee might develop into but a high number of correctly answered USMLE questions will make obtaining a competitive residency easier.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

  • Acupuncture
  • Amputation Surgery
  • Anesthesia
  • Appendix Surgery
  • Articles
  • Bird Flu
  • BP Oil Spill Health Risks
  • Breast Surgery
  • Cancer
  • Cardiac Surgery
  • Cardiology
  • Case Reports
  • Clinical Trials – Published
  • Colon Surgery
  • Complementary and Alternative Medicine
  • Coronavirus
  • Critical Care
  • Dental and Oral Surgery
  • Dermatology
  • Devices and Technology
  • Drug-Drug Interactions
  • Ebola
  • Endocrinology
  • Eye Surgery
  • For Professionals
  • Gallbladder Surgery
  • Gastroenterology
  • General
  • Grand Rounds
  • Hand Surgery
  • Head and Neck Surgery
  • Healthcare Law
  • Hematology
  • Hernia Surgery
  • Hip Surgery
  • History of Surgery and Medicine
  • Hyperbaric Oxygen
  • Infectious Disease
  • Interviews
  • Liver Surgery
  • Medical Eponym Bios
  • Medical Mnemonics
  • Medical News Wire
  • Medical Trivia
  • Medical Words and Abbreviations
  • Musings
  • Nanomedicine
  • Neck Surgery
  • Neurology
  • Nutrition
  • ObGyn Surgery
  • Oncology
  • Orthopedic surgery
  • Pancreas Surgery
  • Pediatric Surgery
  • Pediatrics
  • People
  • Pharmacology
  • Plastic Surgery
  • Pulmonology
  • Rectal Surgery
  • Rheumatology
  • Small Bowel Surgery
  • Spleen Surgery
  • Stomach Surgery
  • Surgery and Medicine Quotations
  • Surgical Procedure Videos
  • Surgpedia
  • Thoracic Surgery
  • Tip of the Day
  • Transplant Surgery
  • Trauma Surgery
  • Uncategorized
  • Urology Surgery
  • USMLE
  • Vascular Surgery

Archives

© 2021 InsideSurgery.com® · All rights reserved.
This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the express written consent of InsideSurgery.com.
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.

SAVE & ACCEPT
Inside Surgery
  • Home
  • Eponyms
  • Abbreviations
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Contact