Anticentromere antibodies - ANSWER Scleroderma (CREST)
Antidesmoglein (epithelial) antibodies - ANSWER Pemphigus vulgaris (blistering)
Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies - ANSWER Goodpasture's syndrome (g
...
Anticentromere antibodies - ANSWER Scleroderma (CREST)
Antidesmoglein (epithelial) antibodies - ANSWER Pemphigus vulgaris (blistering)
Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibodies - ANSWER Goodpasture's syndrome (glomerulonehpritis and hemoptysis)
Antihistone antibodies - ANSWER Drug-induced SLE (hydralazine, isoniazid, phenytoin, procainamide)
Anti-IgG antibodies - ANSWER Rheumatoid arthritis (systemic inflammation, joint pannus, boutonniere deformity)
Antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs) - ANSWER Primary biliary cirrhosis (female, cholestasis, portal hypertension)
Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs) - ANSWER Vasculitis (c-ANCA: Wegener's; p-ANCA: microscopic polyangiitis, Churg-Strauss syndrome)
Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs: anti-Smith and anti-dsDNA) - ANSWER SLE (type III hypersensitivity)
Antiplatelet antibodies - ANSWER Idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP)
Anti-topoisomerase antibodies - ANSWER Diffuse systemic scleroderma
Anti-transglutamniase/anti-gliadin/anti-endomysial antibodies - ANSWER Celiac disease (diarrhea, distension, weight loss)
"Apple core" lesion on abdominal x-ray - ANSWER Colorectal cancer (usually left-sided)
Azurophilic granular needles in leukemic blasts - ANSWER Auer rods (acute myelogenous leukemia, especially the promyelocytic [M3] type)
Bacitracin response - ANSWER Sensitive: Streptocococcus pyogenes (group A)
Resistant: Streptococcus agalactiae (group B)
"Bamboo spine" on x-ray - ANSWER Ankylosing spondylitis (chronic inflammatory arthritis: HLA-B27)
Basophilic nuclear remnants in RBCs - ANSWER Howell-Jolly bodies (due to splenectomy or nonfunctional spleen)
Basophilic stippling of RBCs - ANSWER Lead poisoning or sideroblastic anemia
Bloddy tap on LP - ANSWER Subarachnoid hemorrhage
"Boot-shaped" heart on x-ray - ANSWER Tetralogy of Fallot, RVH
Branching gram-positive rods with sulfur granules - ANSWER Actinomyces israelii
Bronchogenic apical lung tumor - ANSWER Pancoast tumor (can compress sympathetic ganglion and cause Horner's syndrome)
"Brown" tumor of bone - ANSWER Hemorrhage (hemosiderin) causes brown color of osteolytic cysts. Due to:
1. Hyperparathyroidism
2. Osteitis fibrosa cystica
Cardiomegaly with apical atrophy - ANSWER Chagas' disease (Trypanosoma cruzi)
Cellular crescents in Bowman's capsule - ANSWER Rapidly progressive crescentic glomerulonephritis
"Chocolate cyst" of ovary - ANSWER Endometriosis (frequently involves both ovaries)
Circular grouping of dark tumor cells surrounding pale neurofibrils - ANSWER Homer Wright rosettes (neuroblastoma, medulloblastoma, retinoblastoma)
Colonies of mucoid Pseudomonas in lungs - ANSWER Cystic fibrosis (AR mutation to CFTR resulting in fat-soluble vitamin deficiency and mucous plugs)
Decreased alpha-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid/maternal serum - ANSWER Down syndrome or other chromosomal abnormality
Degeneration of dorsal column nerves - ANSWER Tabes dorsalis (tertiary syphilis)
Depigmentation of neurons in substantia nigra - ANSWER Parkinson's disease (basal ganglia disorder: rigidity, resting, tremor, bradykinesia)
Desquamated epithelium casts in sputum - ANSWER Curschmann's spirals (bronchial asthma; can result in whorled mucous plugs)
Disarrayed granulosa cells in eosinophilic fluid - ANSWER Call-Exner bodies (granulosa-theca cell tumor of the ovary)
Dysplastic squamous cervical cells with nuclear enlargment and hyperchromasia - ANSWER Koilocytes (HPV: predisposes to cervical cancer)
Enlarged cells with intranuclear inclusion bodies - ANSWER "Owl's eye" appearance of CMV
Enlarged thyroid cells with ground-glass nuclei - ANSWER "Orphan Annie" eye nuclei (papillary carcinoma of the thyroid)
Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion in liver cell - ANSWER Mallory bodies (alcoholic liver disease)
Eosinophilic cytoplasmic inclusion in nerve cell - ANSWER Lewy body (Parkinson's disease)
Eosinophilic inclusion bodies in cytoplasm of hippocampal nerve cells - ANSWER Rabies virus (Lyssavirus)
Extracellular amyloid deposition in gray matter of brain - ANSWER Senile plaques (Alzhemier's disease)
Giant B cells with bilobed nuclei with prominent inclusions ("owl's eye") - ANSWER Reed-Sternberg cells (Hodgkin's lymphoma)
Glomerulus-like structure surrounding vessel in germ cells - ANSWER Schiller-Duval bodies (yolk sac tumor)
"Hair-on-end" (crew cut) appearance on x-ray - ANSWER Beta-thalassemia, sickle cell anemia (marrow expansion)
hCG elevated - ANSWER Choriocarcinoma, hydatidiform mole (occurs with and without embryo)
Heart nodules (granulomatous) - ANSWER Aschoff bodies (rheumatic fever)
Heterophile antibodies - ANSWER Infectious mononucleosis (EBV)
Hexagonal, double-pointed, needle-like crystals in bronchial secretions - ANSWER Bronchial asthma (Charcot-Leyden crystals: eosinophilic granules)
High level of D-dimers - ANSWER DVT, pulmonary embolism, DIC
Hilar lymphadenopathy, peripheral granulomatous lesion in middle or lower lung lobes (can calcify) - ANSWER Ghon complex (primary TB: Mycobacterium bacilli)
"Honeycomb lung" on x-ray - ANSWER Interstitial fibrosis
Hypersegmented neutrophils - ANSWER Megaloblastic anemia (B12 deficiency: neurologic symptoms; folate deficiency: no neurologic symptoms)
Hypochromic microcytic anemia - ANSWER Iron deficiency anemia, lead poisoning, thalassemia (HbF sometimes present)
Increased alpha-fetoprotein in amniotic fluid/maternal serum - ANSWER Dating error, anencephaly, spina bifida (neural tube defects)
Increased uric acid levels - ANSWER Gout, Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, tumor lysis syndrome, loop and thiazide diuretics
Intranuclear eosinophilic droplet-like bodies - ANSWER Cowdry type A bodies (HSV or CMV)
Iron-containing nodules in alveolar septum - ANSWER Ferruginous bodies (asbestosis: increased chance of mesothelioma)
Large lysosomal vesicles in phagocytes, immunodeficiency - ANSWER Chediak-Higashi disease (congenital failure of phagolysosome formation)
"Lead pipe" appearance of colon on x-ray - ANSWER Ulcerative colitis (loss of haustra)
Linear appearance of glomeruli on immunofluorescence - ANSWER Goodpasture's syndrome
Low serum ceruloplasmin - ANSWER Wilson's disease (hepatolenticular degeneration)
"Lumpy-bumpy" appearance of glomeruli on immunofluorescence - ANSWER Poststerptococcal glomerulonephritis (immune complex deposition of IgG and C3b)
Lytic ("hole-punched") bone lesions on x-ray - ANSWER Multiple myeloma
Mammary gland ("blue-domed") cyst - ANSWER Fibrocystic change of the breast
Monoclonal antibody spike - ANSWER 1. Multiple myeloma (called the M protein; usually IgG or IgA)
2. Monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS); normal consequence of aging)
3. Waldenstrom's (M protein = IgM) macroglobulinemia
4. Primary amyloidosis
Monoclonal globulin protein in blood/urine - ANSWER Bence Jones proteins (multiple myeloma [kappa or lambda Ig light chains in urine]), Waldenstrom's macroglobinemia (IgM)
Mucin-filled cell with peripheral nucleus - ANSWER Signet ring (gastric carcinoma)
Narrowing of bowel lumen on barium radiograph - ANSWER "String sign" (Crohn's disease)
Needle-shaped, negatively birefringent crysytals - ANSWER Gout (monosodium urate crystals)
Nodular hyaline depostis in glomeruli - ANSWER Kimmelstiel-Wilson nodules (diabetic nephropathy)
Novobiocin response - ANSWER Sensitive: Staphylococcus epidermidis
Resistant: Staphylococcus saprophyticus
"Nutmeg" appearance of liver - ANSWER Chronic passive congestion of liver due to right heart failure
"Onion-skin" periosteal reaction - ANSWER Ewing's sarcoma (malignant round-cell tumor)
Optochin response - ANSWER Sensitive: Streptococcus pneumoniae
Resistant: Viridans streptococcus
Periosteum raised from bone, creating triangular area - ANSWER Codman's triangle on x-ray (osteosarcoma, Ewing's sarcoma, pyogenic osteomyelitis)
Podocyte fusion of EM - ANSWER Minimal change disease (child with nephrotic syndrome)
Polished, "ivory-like" appearance of bone at cartilage erosion - ANSWER Eburnation(osteoarthritis resulting in bony sclerosis)
Protein aggregates in neurons from hyperphosphorylation of protein tau - ANSWER Neurofibrillary tangles (Alzheimer's disease and Creuzfeldt Jakob disease)
Pseudopalisading tumor cells on brain biopsy - ANSWER Glioblastoma multiforme
RBC casts in urine - ANSWER Acute glomerulonephritis
Rectangular, crystal-like, cytoplasmic inclusions in Leydig cells - ANSWER Reinke crystals (Leydig cell tumor)
Renal epithelial casts in urine - ANSWER Acute toxic/viral nephrosis
Rhomboid crystals, positively birefringent - ANSWER Pseudogout (calcium pyrophosphate dihydrate)
Rib notching - ANSWER Coarctation of the aorta
Ring-enhancing brain lesions in AIDS - ANSWER Toxoplasma gondii
Sheets of medium-sized lymphoid cells ("starry sky" appearance on histology) - ANSWER Burkitt's lymphoma (t[8:14] c-myc activation, associated with EBV; "black sky" made up of malignant cells)
Silver-staining spherical aggregation of tau proteins in neurons - ANSWER Pick bodies (Pick's disease: progressive dementia, changes in personality)
"Soap bubble" in femur or tibia on x-ray - ANSWER Giant cell tumor of bone (generally benign)
"Spikes" on basement membrane, "dome-like" subepithelial deposits - ANSWER Membranous glomerulonephritis (may progress to nephrotic syndrome)
Stacks of red blood cells - ANSWER Rouleaux formation (high ESR, multiple myeloma)
Stippled vaginal epithelial cells - ANSWER "Clue cells" (Gardnerella vaginalis)
"Tennis-racket"-shaped cytoplasmic organelles (EM) in Langerhans cells - ANSWER Birbeck granules (histiocytosis X: eosinophilic granuloma)
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