Users' Guides to the Medical Literature
Guyatt G, Rennie D, Meade MO, Cook DJ
Part D Diagnosis
Chapter 15. Differential Diagnosis
W. Scott Richardson, Mark C. Wilson, Thomas G. McGinn
Clinical Scenario
Topics Discussed:
abnormal weight loss, diagnosis, differential, pretest probability of disease
Excerpt:
"You are treating a 76-year-old man for involuntary weight loss
of 10 kg in 6 months. At today's routine visit for the follow-up of
his longstanding hypertension, he was surprised to be told that his
weight has decreased since the last visit. He reports eating less,
with little appetite but no food-related symptoms. He takes
a diuretic for his hypertension, with no change in dose for more than
a year, and uses acetaminophen for occasional knee pain and stiffness.
He stopped smoking 11 years ago, and he stopped drinking alcohol
4 decades ago. His examination shows him to be extremely thin but
provides no localizing clues. His initial blood and urine test results
are normal...."
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