My first patient to be diagnosed with cancer
“I feel very dizzy when standing,” was Ms. A’s* chief complaint. She originally came to the ER for sudden onset double vision and severe balance issues. After briefing myself, I took the stairs to the fourth floor and found her.
When I arrived, Ms. A was the only person there. She was wearing a silver visor and a crisp white shirt. As a native of west Texas, she loved her BBQ, local football, and farming. After I went through my usual routine and gathered her history, I proceeded to the physical exam.
I listened to her heart, breath, and belly sounds, then palpated with my fingers her cervical and clavicular lymph nodes. What I read from the primary team’s note matched what I felt … a hard and slightly mobile mass in the left clavicular region: Virchow’s node. It is known to be a strong indicator of abdominal cancer. I processed this in my mind while I did my best to not look worried. It didn’t work.
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Source: Kevin, M.D. - Medical Weblog - Category: General Medicine Authors: < a href="https://www.kevinmd.com/blog/post-author/ton-la-jr" rel="tag" > Ton La, Jr. < /a > Tags: Education Oncology/Hematology Primary Care Source Type: blogs
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