Ch 8 - Differential Diagnosis Day
Name: ______
Period: ______
Date: ______
Ch 8 - Differential Diagnosis Day
Imagine you are a medically licensed and board certified physician who has just opened up his own practice in the area. The following are patient profiles from various patients that have come into your office for a diagnosis. Use your deductive reasoning skills and what you have learned about the sense organs to decide which medical condition is causing their current problems.
Patient #1
Age:60 y/oSex: FemaleHistory: None
An older woman comes into office complaining of increasing headaches and eye pain. She states that the pain started months ago, but it has finally reached the point where it is almost unbearable. She also states that the headache pain is located near the orbital bones (bones that house the eyes). You take your ophthalmoscope to get a better look at the back of her eyes. There does not seem to be any issue with the retina, but you do notice that the aqueous humor in the front of the eye is much larger than normal. You suspect that the fluid is blocked and not properly draining.
What is your diagnosis?
Why do you think this is correct?
What would be your recommendation to the patient?
Patient #2
Age: 22 yearsSex: MaleHistory: Online gamer
A young man comes into your office one day worried that he may be losing his hearing. He says it has become harder to hear people over the past year when they talk to him. You ask him a little bit about his daily routine, and he states that he is an avid online gamer. He tells you that he has to progressively turn up the volume on his favorite headphones because it becoming more difficult to hear people sneaking up on him in the game. You ask him if he only uses headphones for gaming, and he tells you that he also uses Beats Studio to listen to his favorite type of music; death metal.
What is your diagnosis?
Why do you think this is correct?
Can anything be done to help the patient? Why or why not?
Patient #3
Age: 17 y/oSex: MaleHistory: None
A young student comes into your office to ask about his eyesight. He states that his eyesight has become progressively worse over the past few years. You have him run through a series of eye exams to test his vision. These tests show that he has difficulty with seeing objects that are far away and objects that are close to his face. In fact, there is only one specific distance where he is able to see clearly.
What is your diagnosis?
Why do you think this is correct?
What would you recommend to the patient?
Patient #4
Age: 16Sex: MaleHistory: 5’9” 165lbs
A high school student comes into your office complaining about his eyes. He states he spent the night at a friend’s house last night and woke up this morning unable to fully open his eyes. He states there were crusted over with a yellow substance. When you check his eyes, you notice they are reddened and irritated. You ask what happened at the party, and he tells you he’s not sure because he fell asleep first. Based on his symptoms and story, you think it is highly possible that his condition is contagious.
What is your diagnosis?
Why do you think this is correct?
What would be your recommendation to the patient?
Patient #5
Age: 21Sex: FemaleHistory: None
A young female comes into your office complaining that she lost the ability to taste foods. Everything tastes bland and has no flavor. You ask her how long this has been a problem and she states that it just started two days ago. You ask her if she is experiencing any other issues, and she says she has been dealing with a sinus infection and nasal congestion for the past few days as well.
Why do you think she lost her sense of taste?
What would be your recommendation to the patient?
Patient #6
Age: 77 y/oSex: FemaleHistory: Long-time smoker/Diabetic
Anolder woman comes into your office complaining of vision problems. She states that everything she sees appears hazy and distorted. Some things even have a strange bluish hue to them. You decide to check her eyes more closely, and notice that the lenses look like they have turned hard and opaque in color.
What is your diagnosis?
Why do you think this is correct?
What would be your recommendation to the patient?
Patient #7
Age: 46 y/oSex: MaleHistory: None
An older gentleman walks into your office for a routine checkup. You ask him if he has been experiencing any health issues, and he states that everything seems normal. After running a few tests, the man finally states that he is beginning to notice that it is becoming increasingly more difficult to see at night. He states that sometimes it takes almost an hour to adjust to dim light, and he can rarely make out anything if it is very dark.
What is your diagnosis?
Why do you think this is correct?
Would this be an issue with the rods or cones in his eyes?