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Quizzes > Quizzes for Business > Healthcare

Take the Clinical Differential Diagnosis Quiz

Enhance Your Differential Diagnosis Reasoning Skills

Difficulty: Moderate
Questions: 20
Learning OutcomesStudy Material
Colorful paper art promoting a Clinical Differential Diagnosis Quiz.

Are you ready to test your differential diagnosis skills in real-world clinical scenarios? This diagnostic reasoning quiz is perfect for medical students, residents, and healthcare professionals seeking to refine clinical diagnosis practice. Participants tackle diverse case studies to strengthen analytical thinking, sharpen recognition of red flags, and boost confidence in patient assessment. Explore related challenges like the Heart Failure Diagnosis Quiz or deepen your expertise with the Clinical Skills Assessment Quiz , all available in our quizzes library. Plus, you can customize every question in our editor to match your learning objectives.

A 25-year-old man presents with acute onset right lower quadrant abdominal pain, nausea, and low-grade fever. Which diagnosis is most likely?
Appendicitis
Cholecystitis
Pancreatitis
Diverticulitis
Right lower quadrant pain with nausea and low-grade fever is classic for appendicitis. The location and systemic signs help distinguish it from gallbladder or pancreatic causes.
A 60-year-old man complains of crushing chest pain radiating to his left arm, associated with diaphoresis and nausea. Which diagnosis should be prioritized?
Myocardial infarction
Gastroesophageal reflux
Costochondritis
Panic attack
Crushing chest pain with radiation, diaphoresis, and nausea is highly suggestive of myocardial infarction. Other causes are less likely to produce that combination of symptoms.
A 30-year-old woman experiences episodic wheezing, dyspnea, and cough worse at night and with exercise. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Asthma
Chronic bronchitis
Pulmonary embolism
Pneumonia
Episodic wheezing and nocturnal symptoms that worsen with exercise point to asthma. Chronic bronchitis is persistent, and pulmonary embolism/pneumonia have other hallmark features.
A 22-year-old athlete twisted his knee during a game, heard a pop, and now has swelling and instability. Which injury is most consistent with his presentation?
Anterior cruciate ligament tear
Meniscal tear
Medial collateral ligament sprain
Patellar tendonitis
A popping sound, acute swelling, and instability after a twisting injury are characteristic of an ACL tear. Meniscal and MCL injuries have different exam findings.
A 65-year-old woman presents with sudden-onset right-sided weakness and slurred speech. Which diagnosis is most urgent to consider?
Ischemic stroke
Bell's palsy
Hypoglycemia
Migraine with aura
Acute unilateral weakness and speech changes suggest an ischemic stroke and require immediate evaluation. Bell's palsy does not affect limb strength.
A 30-year-old woman has fatigue, pallor, and laboratory studies show a microcytic anemia (MCV 72 fL). Which is the most likely cause?
Iron deficiency anemia
Aplastic anemia
Vitamin B12 deficiency
Hemolytic anemia
Microcytic anemia with fatigue and pallor is most commonly due to iron deficiency. B12 deficiency causes macrocytosis, and hemolysis presents with different labs.
A 60-year-old heavy smoker has a two-month history of cough, weight loss, and hemoptysis. Chest X-ray reveals a solitary pulmonary nodule. What is most concerning?
Primary lung cancer
Bronchiectasis
Pneumonia
Tuberculosis
In a long-term smoker with weight loss and hemoptysis, a solitary pulmonary nodule is highly suspicious for primary lung cancer. Infectious causes usually have additional systemic or radiographic features.
A 40-year-old woman reports episodic headaches, diaphoresis, palpitations, and hypertension. Laboratory studies show elevated urinary catecholamines. Which diagnosis fits best?
Pheochromocytoma
Essential hypertension
Hyperthyroidism
Cushing syndrome
Episodic hypertension with headaches, sweating, and palpitations plus elevated catecholamines is diagnostic for pheochromocytoma. Other endocrine causes have different hormone profiles.
A 45-year-old man has sharp chest pain worsened by inspiration and relieved by leaning forward. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Acute pericarditis
Pulmonary embolism
Myocardial infarction
Esophageal spasm
Pericarditis pain classically worsens with inspiration and improves when leaning forward. MI and PE have different pain patterns and associated findings.
A 50-year-old woman suddenly develops the 'worst headache of her life' and neck stiffness. What is the most concerning diagnosis?
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
Migraine
Tension headache
Cluster headache
A thunderclap headache with neck stiffness highly suggests subarachnoid hemorrhage. Migraine and tension headaches do not present so acutely and severely.
A 25-year-old woman has arthralgias, a malar rash, and new-onset proteinuria. Which diagnosis is most consistent?
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Rheumatoid arthritis
Dermatomyositis
Fibromyalgia
A malar rash, joint pain, and renal involvement are characteristic of SLE. Other rheumatologic diseases do not present with that combination of skin and kidney findings.
A 65-year-old man reports progressive memory loss without visual hallucinations or parkinsonism. Which diagnosis is most likely?
Alzheimer disease
Lewy body dementia
Vascular dementia
Normal pressure hydrocephalus
Gradual memory decline without hallucinations or movement issues is typical for Alzheimer disease. Lewy body dementia features hallucinations and parkinsonism.
A 50-year-old alcoholic has AST of 150 U/L and ALT of 70 U/L. Which ratio pattern is most suggestive of alcoholic hepatitis?
AST to ALT > 2:1
AST to ALT < 1:1
ALT to AST > 2:1
AST and ALT both normal
An AST:ALT ratio greater than 2:1 is characteristic of alcoholic hepatitis. Viral or other hepatitides usually show ALT predominance.
A 28-year-old man presents with polyuria and polydipsia. Water deprivation fails to concentrate his urine, and desmopressin administration has no effect. What is the likely diagnosis?
Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus
Central diabetes insipidus
Psychogenic polydipsia
Syndrome of inappropriate ADH secretion
Lack of response to desmopressin indicates the kidneys cannot respond to ADH, confirming nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. Central DI would respond to desmopressin.
A 65-year-old man presents with progressive dysphagia for solids initially, then liquids. He has a 50-pack-year smoking history. Which diagnosis is most likely?
Esophageal carcinoma
Achalasia
Scleroderma
Peptic stricture
Progressive dysphagia that begins with solids and advances to liquids suggests a mechanical obstruction such as esophageal carcinoma. Achalasia first affects liquids.
A 45-year-old woman has chronic diarrhea, weight loss, and intensely pruritic papules on her elbows and knees. Which diagnosis is most consistent?
Celiac disease
Ulcerative colitis
Crohn disease
Dermatitis herpetiformis alone
Dermatitis herpetiformis with malabsorption and diarrhea is pathognomonic for celiac disease. Inflammatory bowel disease has different skin and GI findings.
A 55-year-old diabetic patient has a foot ulcer with underlying bone pain and a positive probe-to-bone test. Which is the most likely diagnosis?
Osteomyelitis
Charcot arthropathy
Cellulitis
Diabetic neuropathy
A positive probe-to-bone test in a diabetic foot ulcer strongly suggests osteomyelitis. Cellulitis and neuropathy do not involve bone infection.
A 30-year-old postpartum woman presents with sudden pleuritic chest pain, dyspnea, tachycardia, and hypoxemia. What is the most likely diagnosis?
Pulmonary embolism
Peripartum cardiomyopathy
Amniotic fluid embolism
Pneumothorax
Pleuritic chest pain with sudden dyspnea and hypoxemia postpartum is most consistent with a pulmonary embolism. Cardiomyopathy presents with heart failure symptoms, not pleuritic pain.
Using the VINDICATE mnemonic for differential diagnosis, which of the following is an example of the 'N' (Neoplastic) category?
Brain tumor
Giant cell arteritis
Migraine
Subarachnoid hemorrhage
In VINDICATE, 'N' stands for Neoplastic causes such as a brain tumor. Giant cell arteritis is vascular, and hemorrhage is trauma/vascular.
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Learning Outcomes

  1. Analyse clinical scenarios to differentiate possible diagnoses
  2. Identify critical diagnostic clues and red flags
  3. Apply systematic frameworks for accurate diagnosis
  4. Evaluate reasoning processes in patient case assessments
  5. Demonstrate effective prioritization of potential diagnoses

Cheat Sheet

  1. Master the VINDICATE Mnemonic - Jumpstart your diagnostic detective work by recalling Vascular, Infectious, Neoplastic, Degenerative, Iatrogenic, Congenital, Autoimmune, Traumatic, and Endocrine causes. This framework keeps you on track so you won't overlook quirky or common culprits. VINDICATE Mnemonic - The Universal Mnemonic for Differential Diagnosis
  2. Use the VITAMINS ABCDEK Mnemonic - Supercharge your differentials with an expanded checklist covering Trauma, Idiopathic, Neoplasia, Social, Alcohol, Behavioral, Degenerative, Exocrine, Karyotype, and more. It's like a power-up for your brain to scoop up every possible diagnosis. VITAMINS ABCDEK mnemonic: Easy way to Create a Differential Diagnosis
  3. Apply the AEIOU-TIPS Trick - When a patient's mental status changes, race through Alcohol, Epilepsy, Infection, Overdose, Uremia, Trauma, Insulin issues, Psychogenic causes, and Stroke. This quick-hit mnemonic means you'll never miss a life-threatening cause in an emergency. AEIOU-TIPS
  4. Explore the IMPASSIVE DICTATING Strategy - Delve into every angle of a complex case by ticking off Immunologic, Metabolic, Psychiatric, Allergic, Structural, Social, Infectious, Vascular, Endocrine, Degenerative, Iatrogenic, Congenital, Traumatic, Autoimmune, Toxic, Idiopathic, Neoplastic, and Genetic factors. This exhaustive list turns you into a diagnostic wizard who leaves no stone unturned. IMPASSIVE DICTATING: A Mnemonic Acronym for Systematically Generating Differential Diagnoses
  5. Combine Anatomy and Pathophysiology - Fuse structural knowledge with functional insights to map out potential diagnoses from organ systems down to cellular processes. Harmonizing these perspectives sharpens your clinical reasoning like a laser beam. Differential Diagnosis: VINDICATED MEN
  6. Craft Differential Diagnoses with VITAMIN CDE - Organize your thoughts using Vascular, Infectious, Trauma, Autoimmune, Metabolic, Idiopathic, Neoplastic, Congenital, Degenerative, and Endocrine tags. This focused mnemonic helps you juggle multiple hypotheses without confusion. Creating A High Quality Differential Diagnosis
  7. Enhance Diagnostics with CHOPPED MINTS - Chop through clinical confusion by listing Congenital, Hematologic, Organ, Psychiatric, Pregnancy, Environmental, Drugs, Metabolic, Infectious, Neoplastic, Trauma, and Surgical factors. It's like a candy assortment of causes ensuring your list is sweetly comprehensive. Constructing Differential Diagnoses: Mnemonic
  8. Embrace Social Determinants - Remember that a patient's home environment, stress levels, and support systems can influence disease presentation and outcomes. Incorporating social context turns a good diagnosis into a great, personalized care plan. IMPASSIVE DICTATING: A Mnemonic Acronym for Systematically Generating Differential Diagnoses
  9. Spot Psychiatric and Behavioral Factors - Don't let mood swings, psychosis, or substance habits hide behind medical masks; psychiatric issues can mimic or magnify physical illnesses. Spotting these clues paves the way for holistic treatments that cover mind and body. Constructing Differential Diagnoses: Mnemonic
  10. Prioritize History & Physical Exam - Your stethoscope and pen are your best friends: gathering detailed history and conducting a thorough exam often uncovers the biggest leads. Solid fundamentals guide smarter testing and save precious time in the diagnostic journey. Creating A High Quality Differential Diagnosis
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