need help with your account or subscription? click here to email us (or see the contact page)
join telegramNEW! discord
jump to exam page:
search for anything ⋅ score predictor (โ€œpredict me!โ€)

Retired NBME 23 Answers

nbme23/Block 1/Question#1 (reveal difficulty score)
An asymptomatic 30-year-old woman comes to ...
Anovulation ๐Ÿ” / ๐Ÿ“บ / ๐ŸŒณ / ๐Ÿ“–
tags: FA19p634 reproductive repro

 Login (or register) to see more


 +11  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—welpdedelp(270)
get full access to all contentpick a username

when a follicle doesn't rupture (aka anovulation) then it will form a cyst.

get full access to all contentpick a username
uslme123  n premenopausal women, simple adnexal cysts (image 1) that are <3 cm in diameter typically represent normal follicles or may be a corpus luteal cyst (these may appear simple or complex) and may be considered a normal finding. Even when up to 5 cm in diameter, these simple cysts are so commonly due to normal menstrual physiology that the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (SRU) does not recommend follow-up when asymptomatic +9



 +4  upvote downvote
submitted by ber1ber1(4)
get full access to all contentpick a username

for anyone who thought it was endometriosis its not because endometriosis of the ovary would have multiple blood filled "chocolate cysts" and presents bilaterally and patient would typically have pelvic pain as well FA 2019:p634

get full access to all contentpick a username
fatboyslim  "Chocolate-filled" cyst is a gross morphology description though. They would have to see it laparoscopically or after they excise it and cut it open, I don't think that term is used when seen on ultrasound. +1



 +3  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—osgoodschlatter10(41)
get full access to all contentpick a username

The most common cyst in a young female is Follicular cyst; this is a cystic dilatation of an unruptured Graffian follicle.

Failure of Graffian follicle to rupture --> Anovulation

Ref FA2019 Pg 631-632

get full access to all contentpick a username



 +2  upvote downvote
submitted by pk33(6)
get full access to all contentpick a username

Why i think this is a bullshit question. Asymptomatic, so it rules out Endometriosis because there will be pain every menstrual cycle because endometrium in ovaries also bleeds. Also rules out PID because no Sx such as fever and vaginal discharge. Also rules out ectopic pregnancy No unilateral pain, and other sign and Sx of pregnancy Now stuck with 2 Malignancy and Anovulation cyst. so They say patient is asymptomatic and in case of anovulation cyst there will be prolong abscence of menses and then massive bleeding so that is a symptom and it must be present if anovulation because there will be prolong follicular phase and unopposed estrogen release. so i picked ovarian neoplasm which is usually asymptomatic over long period of time but it does not fit with the age. So you have to chose between age demography and ignoring irregular menses as a symptom.

get full access to all contentpick a username



 +0  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—imgdoc(183)
get full access to all contentpick a username

This was literally the most vague shit I've ever read.

But basically my reasoning was that:

Endometriosis of the ovary would cause chocolate filled cysts, and there would be cyclical menstrual pain. This patient is asymptomatic, so this is ruled out.

Ectopic pregnancy would present with a growing fetus or fetal tissue in the ampulla, fallopian tube, ovarian surface. This is an acute emergency, not a cyst, and would present like acute appendicitis, severe lower abdominal pain on either the right or left side. Again, nope.

I couldn't rule out malignancy by any rational thought process, but in this patient demographic with absolutely 0 symptoms, and one single fluid filled cyst I was thinking of a follicular cyst (FA 2018 pg 628). It kinda helped that I was instinctively leaning towards PCOS as a diagnosis the moment I heard cysts in a young woman, and I knew that the cysts in PCOS are due to anovulation.

get full access to all contentpick a username



 +0  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—diabetes(31)
get full access to all contentpick a username

the key here is (asymptomatic) the only amswer is anovulation

get full access to all contentpick a username



 -1  upvote downvote
submitted by hivwizard(3)
get full access to all contentpick a username

The owners are a bunch of assholes they just took everyones descriptions and are now trying to make money off of it you guys are useless

get full access to all contentpick a username



 -11  upvote downvote
submitted by โˆ—charcot_bouchard(574)
get full access to all contentpick a username

After everything its jjust an epidem ques. Below 55 vs Above 55 years

get full access to all contentpick a username
ls3076  can you elaborate please? +1
charcot_bouchard  I am sorry for this vague answer and here comes to make up after a year lol> So above 55 years old most common cause of adnexal mass is a neoplasm, source FA. Repro That means this patient falls under 55 and since she is menstruating most likely scenario here is a ovarian follicular cyst. +1



Must-See Comments from nbme23

ferrero on Precapillary resistance
yotsubato on 99%
sne on Triglyceride
sajaqua1 on Area labeled โ€˜Dโ€™ (Spinothalamic tract, right)
stinkysulfaeggs on Hypoglycemia
hayayah on Iris
soph on Peak inspiratory pressure (alveolar): ...
seagull on Area labeled โ€˜Cโ€™ (Cranial nerve 8: ...
water on Dietary change
wired-in on 28.8
beeip on Binding of permeable ligand to nuclear ...
thomasalterman on Hypoglycemia
yotsubato on Inhibition of the cytochrome P450-dependent ...
seagull on Decreased sodium bicarbonate reabsorption in ...

search for anything NEW!