27 Peripheral Nerve and Skeletal Muscle
1 A 5-year-old boy develops increasing muscle weakness. He is unable to play with other children because he quickly becomes tired and is unable to keep up with them. On physical examination, he is afebrile. No deformities are noted. He has 4/5 muscle strength in his extremities, with more apparent weakness of the proximal muscles. Laboratory studies show a serum creatine kinase level of 689 U/L. A muscle biopsy is done; the figure shows the appearance of the biopsy specimen at low magnification. Which of the following tests would be most appropriate to determine the diagnosis in this boy?
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(E) 2 A 25-year-old woman has had episodes of numbness and tingling in both hands for 5 months. The problem typically occurs near the end of the day and makes it difficult for her to use the computer keyboard. The thumb and first two fingers are most affected. There is no pain or swelling, and she does not recall any trauma to the upper extremities. On physical examination, she has decreased sensation to light touch and pinprick over the palmar surface of both hands in the distribution of the first three digits. Thenar muscle atrophy seems to be present. Which of the following conditions is most likely causing her problem?
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(E) 3 A 63-year-old man has been receiving hemodialysis for chronic renal failure and has noted increasing loss of sensation in his legs for the past 4 years. On physical examination, there is symmetrically decreased sensation over both lower extremities. He has no decrease in strength or abnormality of gait. What is most likely to produce these findings?
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(E) 4 A 17-year-old boy has had generalized muscle pain with fever for 1 week. Over the past 2 days, he has developed increasing muscular weakness and diarrhea. On physical examination, his temperature is 38°C. All of his muscles are tender to palpation, but he has a normal range of motion, and no significant decrease in muscle strength. Laboratory findings include hemoglobin, 14.6 g/dL; hematocrit, 44.3%; MCV, 90 µm3; platelet count, 275,000/mm3; and WBC count, 16,700/mm3 with differential of 68% segmented neutrophils, 6% bands, 10% lymphocytes, 4% monocytes, and 12% eosinophils. What is the most likely diagnosis?
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(E) 5 An infant born at term exhibits difficulty with movement beginning at 1 month of age. By 1 year of age, there is flaccid paralysis. A muscle biopsy is done, and microscopically shows panfascicular atrophy of myofibers with scattered enlarged myofibers, but no inflammation. The serum creatine kinase is not elevated. What is the most likely diagnosis?
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(F) 6 A 40-year-old man had an influenza-like illness for 1 week. A few days later, he experienced a rapidly progressive, ascending motor weakness that required intubation and mechanical ventilation. On physical examination, he is now afebrile and has 3/5 motor strength in his extremities. A lumbar puncture is done and yields clear, colorless cerebrospinal fluid under normal pressure. The cerebrospinal fluid has a slightly elevated protein concentration, but a normal glucose level, and a cell count with only a few mononuclear cells. The patient recovers in 3 weeks. If lymphocytic infiltrates were seen in peripheral nerves along with segmental demyelination at the time he initially saw his physician, what would be the most likely diagnosis?
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(E) 7 For the past month, a 56-year-old man has experienced worsening double vision and eyelid drooping, particularly toward the end of the day. He also has had difficulty chewing his food at dinner. He was diagnosed with Sjögren syndrome more than a decade ago. On physical examination, he has 5/5 motor strength in his extremities that decreases to 4/5 strength with repetitive movement. There is no pain on palpation and no decrease in joint mobility. Which of the following laboratory findings is most likely to be reported for this patient?
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(E) 8 A 72-year-old man has had a 7-kg weight loss, proximal muscle weakness, and difficulty with urination for the past 4 months. On physical examination, he has 4/5 muscle strength in his extremities with repetitive motion. He has no muscle pain or loss of mobility. Laboratory studies show that he does not have serum antibodies to acetylcholine receptor. He was prescribed anticholinesterase agents but shows no improvement. Which of the following underlying conditions is most likely to be present?
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(E) 9 A 56-year-old woman has had increasing generalized muscle weakness for the past 2 months. On physical examination, she has 3/5 motor strength in upper and lower extremities. She has fat redistribution in the upper trunk and rounded facies. Ecchymoses are scattered over the extremities. She is afebrile, and her blood pressure is 155/90 mm Hg. A biopsy specimen of the gastrocnemius muscle is obtained, and histochemical staining shows type II muscle fiber atrophy. What is the most likely diagnosis?
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(E) 10 A 44-year-old man has had worsening exercise intolerance for the past year. On physical examination, he has 4/5 motor strength in the extremities, but has no muscle pain or loss of joint mobility. He has pitting edema to the knees. A chest radiograph shows cardiomegaly with pulmonary edema and pleural effusions. A deltoid muscle biopsy specimen is obtained. The figure shows the immunohistochemical staining pattern with antibody to dystrophin (A, normal; B, patient). What is the most likely diagnosis?
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(F) 11 A 40-year-old man undergoes elective laparoscopic hernia repair. He receives anesthesia with halothane and succinylcholine. His blood loss is minimal. Thirty minutes into this surgery, his temperature increases to 39.5°C, and pulse increases to 115/min. The anesthesiologist notices muscular spasms with rigidity of the extremities. Laboratory studies show an elevated serum creatine kinase and myoglobinuria. This man most likely has an inherited disorder with a gene encoding for a protein involved with which of the following?
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(E) 12 A 93-year-old woman has been bothered by continuing outbreaks of painful lesions on the skin of her right chest for the past year. On physical examination, there is a vesicular eruption over a 1 × 8 cm area over the right seventh rib. She is treated with acyclovir, and resolution of the skin lesions occurs, but the pain persists for the next 3 months. Which of the following is the most likely cause for her findings?
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