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Diagnosing and Treating Charlie’s Strange Spots

By Joseph D. Shih

Diagnosing and Treating Charlie’s Strange Spots


 

Abstract

This case study introduces a patient who comes into a doctor's office with an interesting set of symptoms that leads to an exotic cancer diagnosis. The case provides students with an opportunity to identify and classify patient information (signs, symptoms, history, etc.), explore online medical literature, construct and justify a differential diagnosis, evaluate diagnostic tests, and debate the benefits and risks of various cancer treatment options. The story is drawn from a real-life scenario, although certain details have been modified to preserve anonymity. The case was originally developed for an upper-level undergraduate immunology course for pre-health students who have taken cell biology as a prerequisite. It is suitable for any upper-level undergraduate pre-health (pre-med, pre-nursing, medical laboratory science) or first-year graduate health (physician assistant, medical, nursing, etc.) course in which clinical case studies are appropriate and cancer is a potential topic, such as immunology, clinical immunology, physiology, or pathophysiology.

   

Date Posted

03/07/2019

Overview

Objectives

  • Identify and classify information that would help a medical professional conduct a medical diagnosis.
  • Explore online medical literature and health information to determine trustworthy and untrustworthy sources.
  • Construct a differential diagnosis and justify why different diseases are more or less likely to occur based on the signs/symptoms identified.
  • Critically evaluate key tests that can be used to narrow a diagnosis.
  • Critically debate the benefits and risks of various current cancer treatments.

Keywords

Symptoms; signs; medical history; diagnosis; differential diagnosis; diagnostic tests; treatment options; cancer; chemotherapy; biopsy; Karposi’s sarcoma; Karposi sarcoma; HIV

  

Subject Headings

Biology (General)
Cell Biology
Genetics / Heredity
Medicinal Chemistry
Medicine (General)
Microbiology

EDUCATIONAL LEVEL

Undergraduate upper division, Graduate, Clinical education

  

FORMAT

PDF, PowerPoint

   

TOPICAL AREAS

N/A

   

LANGUAGE

English

   

TYPE/METHODS

Analysis (Issues), Dilemma/Decision, Directed, Discussion

 

 

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