Written by Leya Bedar
Psoriatic arthritis (stiffness, dactylitis, nail lesions, history of psoriasis)
Differential diagnosis:
Rheumatoid arthritis (morning stiffness, swelling, joint pain, age)
Osteoarthritis (could be early osteoarthritis – could be Heberdens nodes at DIPs, stiffness, swelling, joint pain)
Mark scheme for history taking can be found below
Neurological history 3 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Cluster headache (pain around eye, autonomic symptoms, periods of remission) Differential diagnosis: Temporal arteritis (pain around eye, but no visual disturbances, jaw claudication, or other suggestive features) Migraine with aura (intense headaches, but less likely due to autonomic features, triggers associated with cluster headache as well as…
Musculoskeletal history 2 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Osteoarthritis (pain, gradual onset, worse with use, improves with rest, stiffness, age, history of heavy use of joint) Differential diagnosis: Crystalline arthropathies (ie, gout and pseudogout) (joint pain, stiffness, swelling) Inflammatory arthritis (eg, rheumatoid arthritis) (joint pain, stiffness, swelling) Mark scheme for history taking can be found…
Mental health history 1 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Anxiety (insomnia, racing thoughts, change in appetite, stress) Other differentials: Hyperthyroidism (possible due to racing thoughts but less likely as lack of systemic features) Depression (possible due to sleep disturbance and change in mood, but less likely due to lack of helplessness, typical depression features, and…
Neurological history 7 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Trigeminal neuralgia (location of pain, neuropathic pain, episodes of intense pain, sudden onset, triggers) Other differentials: Giant cell arteritis (age, location of pain, but less likely due to neuropathic pain, clear triggers and lack of jaw claudication and visual disturbances) Migraine (intense pain, but less likely due…
Neurological history 1 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Tension headache (band-like distribution of pain, tight and constricting, link to stress, responds to painkillers, stress) Differential diagnosis: Migraine (generalised pain, stress, responds to painkillers but less likely due to nature of pain and lack of aura, photophobia, or clear triggers) Dehydration (dull headache but unlikely due…
Respiratory history 5 Written by Leya Bedar Diagnosis: Lung cancer (haemoptysis, cough, constitutional symptoms, family history of lung cancer, smoking history) Other differentials: Tuberculosis (ethnic, haemoptysis, constitutional symptoms but lack of travel history, infectious contacts, night sweats, make less likely) COPD (cough, SOB and smoking history but less likely due to haemoptysis and constitutional symptoms)…
