1 What is melanoma? The term melanoma implies a malignant tumor that arises from melanocytes. The most malignant of all skin cancers, melanoma usually forms from a preexisting nevus or mole but may develop de novo. It accounts for <1%…
1 What is a neoplasm? A neoplasm, or tumor, is any new mass of cells, where they grow under conditions that normally should not give rise to new cell growth. Benign neoplasms grow, but they do not spread; they disrupt…
1 How is breast cancer diagnosed? A breast cancer diagnosis requires tissue confirmation by needle sampling or less commonly by surgical biopsy. Historically, excisional biopsy was the gold standard, but needle sampling has become the preferred initial diagnostic method most…
1 What are evidenced-based components of breast screening? Screening mammography has the most evidence to support it as a breast cancer screening tool. A screening study has value when: a. The incidence of the disease is high. b. The risks…
1 What is the arterial and venous anatomy of the adrenal gland? There are two adrenal glands, each located in the retroperitoneum superior to the kidneys. The blood supply consists of three arteries: The superior adrenal artery that is a…
1 What are the surgically correctable causes of hypertension? Renovascular hypertension, pheochromocytoma, Cushing’s syndrome, primary hyperaldosteronism (Conn’s syndrome), coarctation of the aorta, and unilateral renal parenchymal disease. Surgical hypertension accounts for 5%–10% of all hypertensive patients. 2 Which form of…
1 What is the prevalence of thyroid nodules and cancer? The prevalence of thyroid nodules increases throughout life and is dependent on the method of detection—by palpation 5%, by ultrasound (US) 35%, and by autopsy 50%. Thyroid nodules are four…
1 How common is hyperthyroidism? Of the 1.2% prevalence of hyperthyroidism in the United States, 0.5% is overt, while 0.7% is subclinical. The incidence of overt disease is approximately 0.4 per 1000 women, and 0.1 per 1000 men, but varies…
1 How common is hyperparathyroidism (HPT)? The prevalence of hyperparathyroidism is 1:1000. There are approximately 100,000 new cases of HPT annually in the United States. Seventy-four percent of all cases are in women, and the risk increases with age. Primary…
1 My patient weighs 250 lb (114 kg). Is he or she morbidly obese? Maybe. The most widely used definition of morbid obesity uses the concept of body mass index (BMI), which is weight (kg) divided by height squared (m).…