NBME 24 Polyneuropathy (NBME Answers)

Retired NBME 24 Answers

nbme24/Block 4/Question#27 (reveal difficulty score)
A 19-year-old man has had weakness of the ...
Polyneuropathy 🔍 / 📺 / 🌳 / 📖
tags:

+14 upvote downvote
submitted by ∗lsmarshall(465)

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

Polyneuropathy - A condition involves damage to multiple peripheral nerve fibers. Patients typically present with symmetric distal sensory loss or a burning sensation associated with motor weakness. Classic polyneuropathy is burning so this question was more process of elimination. Others did not fit well.

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

+11 upvote downvote
submitted by ∗ameanolacid(29)

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

Couldn't be ALS b/c he had sensory involvement...ALS is distinctly only motor. Not Syringomyelia (which is upper extremities sensory then motor later on) bc I assumed by the wording that all 4 extremities were involved. Obv not Parkinsons, and not polio bc again, he has motor + sensory.

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

sympathetikey Probably in part due to early age presentation, but I hear you +5

wowo FA2019 p518 - process of elim for other spinal cord lesions +2

cbreland Also syringomyelia wouldn't have a position sense issue +

+8 upvote downvote
submitted by majic(12)

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

"Poly- meaning many/multiple + nueropathy. Nueropathies in multiple locations that results in weakness, impaired position or burning pain. The most common cause of polyneuropathy is a Vitamin B6 deficiency. The most common genetic cause is Charcot-Marie-Tooth The most common infectious cause is Guillain-Barré

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

+5 upvote downvote
submitted by ∗medstruggle(21)

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

Can someone please explain this? What is the diagnosis here?

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

welpdedelp I thought it just as it was, polyneuropathy is supposed to be a burning pain affecting the extremities, he might have acute intermittent porphyria. He was too young and didn't fit ALS due to the rapid onset. No loss of pain in the arms so it couldn't be syringomelia. Wasn't asymmetric so couldn't be polio. Didn't have anything resembling Parkinson. +5

j44n I got tripped up on this too. I think what youre supposed to see is multiple areas of nerve damage on the motor tracts and proprioception is a senory component, so instead of saying they feel burning, they cant tell where their limbs are in 3D space. If they said burning you wouldn't have to know all the other 4 possible answer choices to get to this one. +

+2 upvote downvote
submitted by nutcraker(7)

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

Looks like Tabes dorsalis polyneuropathy to me, 19 y/o with loss of propioception, parasthesias...

get full access to all content ⋅ pick a username

tyrionwill also probably B12 deficiency: lost vibration sensory, weakness of extremities, and possible ataxia if more information is collected... Syphilis will not impair muscle strength. +

Must-See Comments from nbme24

seagull on Intestinal mucosa
tissue creep on Ask the roommate not to smoke in the apartment
drdoom on Adenosine
seagull on Increased serum testosterone concentration
atstillisafraud on Lamins
niboonsh on Only cookies are independently associated ...
atstillisafraud on Scar formation
lamhtu on Decreased adherence
drachenx on Damage to the rectovaginal septum
drdoom on Intestinal mucosa
azibird on Coronavirus
lsmarshall on Organic acid metabolism disorder
sympathetikey on Inhalant abuse
tea-cats-biscuits on Eosinophils