BOF: 36
A sixty-year-old female presents with a history of nausea,
lethargy and depression.
Her skin is pigmented and there is vitiligo. Her blood
pressure is low and there is a postural drop. In this patient which one of the
following are true
a)
Eosinopaenia is a feature
b)
The ESR is decreased
c)
Hyperglycaemia is a feature
d)
The heart size is small
e)
Hypokalaemia would occur
Answer:
d)
The patient has Addison’s disease. In this condition the
heart size is small. The eosinophil count may be elevated, the ESR may be high,
hypoglycaemia may be a feature, and hyperkalaemia would be a feature.
