The patient is a 59-year-old man who presents with pain in his elbow. He says he was experimenting with his son’s hoverboard, hanging on to a pole to steady himself. He lost his balance and fell, with his right arm taking the brunt of the impact. His range of motion is limited by both pain and swelling. View the images taken and consider what the diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case …
Read MoreA 47-Year-Old Female Cancer Patient with Red, Flaccid Bullae on Her Leg
The patients is a 47-year-old woman undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer with 1 day of several red, flaccid bullae on her leg as well as fever, cough, and shortness of breath. View the image and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page.
Read MoreAn 80-Year-Old Man with Rhinorrhea, Cough, and Intermittent Dizziness
Case The patient is an 80-year-old man with history of hypertension and high cholesterol who presents with rhinorrhea and cough. On further history, he admits to 2 months of intermittent dizziness, not worsening. He denies any chest pain/discomfort, SOB, or sweating. No neuro symptoms. On exam, you find: General: A&O, NAD Lungs: Clear bilaterally Cardiovascular: Regular rhythm, without m,r,g Abdomen: Soft and nontender Ext: No edema or asymmetry, pulses are 2+ and equal in all …
Read MoreA 48-Year-Old Woman with a Facial Lesion
Case The patients is a 48-year-old woman who presents with a single lesion on her cheek/face. As a healthcare worker herself, she says she is concerned that the excoriation might get infected. She denies knowing anything about the possible cause, but insists on receiving treatment. Notably, she is a frequent visitor to your urgent care center in spite of the fact that she is in excellent physical health. However, she has been diagnosed with borderline …
Read MoreA 2-Year-Old Girl with Leg Pain After Jumping on a Trampoline
Case The patient is a 2-year-old girl who is brought to your urgent care center by her parents several hours after jumping on a trampoline with her friend, but that she “seemed fine” when the mother picked her up to come home. View the images taken and consider what the diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page. The Resolution Differential Diagnosis Acute transverse fracture of the …
Read MoreA 27-Year-Old Marathon Runner with Epigastric Pain
A 27-year-old woman who has been training for a marathon presents to the urgent care center with epigastric pain. She states the pain is worse after she consumes tomato sauce or orange juice, and wonders if she may have reflux. She denies shortness of breath, exertional component, pleuritic pain, leg swelling, use of hormonal therapy, or sweating. No right upper quadrant pain. Improves with antacids. No FH or heart disease or other risk factors. Upon …
Read MoreA Construction Worker with Sudden Foot Pain After Stepping Into a Hole
Case The patient is a 45-year-old male construction worker who felt pain immediately after stepping down from a truck into a pothole. View the images taken and consider what the diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described on the next page. Figure 1.
Read MoreA 43-Year-Old Man with Pruritic, Scale Plaque and Vesicles on His Hands and Arms
The patient is a 43-year-old man who presents to urgent care after work with an extremely pruritic fine scaly plaque and tense vesicles covering his hands and arms. He had been gardening the previous weekend, worked on his car, and prepared his boat for its first voyage of the season. He wasn’t sure which activity might have caused such a terrible rash. View the image and consider what your diagnosis and next steps would be. …
Read MoreA 10-Year-Old Boy with Multiple Lesions on His Ear
Figure 1. Case A 10-year-old boy visited urgent care complaining of multiple skin lesions on the rim of his ear. They had begun as vesicles and some were beginning to crust. He also had enlarged cervical lymph nodes. His mother was concerned because the symptoms developed after an early spring camping trip with his scout troop and two other boys had similar symptoms. View the photo taken, and consider what your diagnosis and next steps …
Read MoreA 70-Year-Old Female with ‘Bony’ Pain in Her Chest
Case The patient is a 70-year-old female who presents with gradual onset of constant pain in her left lower chest and back. She is unsure when she first noticed the pain, but reports that it has worsened since she experienced a fall several days ago. She denies shortness of breath, diaphoresis, or an exertional component. View the images taken and consider what the diagnosis and next steps would be. Resolution of the case is described …
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