Question 1

During a routine physical examination, a provider notes a shiny, irregular, painless lesion on the top of one ear auricle and suspects skin cancer. What will the provider tell the patient about this lesion?

A) A biopsy should be performed.
B) Immediate surgery is recommended.
C) It is benign and will not need intervention.
D) This is most likely malignant.

A

Accepted Answer

A shiny, irregular, painless lesion on the ear auricle is highly suspicious for skin cancer. Therefore, a biopsy should be performed to confirm the diagnosis and determine the appropriate course of treatment. Immediate surgery may not always be necessary, but it will depend on the biopsy results. It cannot be assumed that the lesion is benign, so option C can be ruled out. Option D is a possibility, but cannot be definitively determined without a biopsy.

Question 2

A primary care provider notes painless, hard lesions on a patient's external ears that expel a white crystalline substance when pressed. What diagnostic test is indicated?&#10;A) Biopsy of the lesions&#10;B) Endocrine studies&#10;C) Rheumatoid factor&#10;D) Uric acid chemical profile

Accepted Answer

The description of painless, hard lesions on the external ears that expel a white crystalline substance when pressed suggests the presence of tophi, which are deposits of uric acid crystals. This is indicative of gout, a type of inflammatory arthritis. The appropriate diagnostic test to confirm high levels of uric acid, which would support a diagnosis of gout, is a uric acid chemical profile.

Deck 62: Auricular Disorders