Pulmonary Embolism USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 58-year-old man with metastatic pancreatic cancer presents with acute-onset dyspnea, pleuritic chest pain, and hemoptysis. Vital signs show BP 138/82 mmHg, HR 112/min, RR 22/min, temperature 37.2°C, and SpO2 88% on room air. CT pulmonary angiography reveals a thrombus within a segmental pulmonary artery. D-dimer is elevated at 2.8 mcg/mL. Lower extremity ultrasound demonstrates no deep vein thrombosis. He denies recent surgery or immobilization. Which diagnosis best explains these findings?
Answer choices
- ALung abscess
- BPulmonary embolismCorrect answer
- CSpontaneous pneumothorax
- DCommunity acquired pneumonia
- EPrimary pulmonary hypertension due to BMPR2 mutation
- FAcute coronary syndrome with secondary pulmonary infarction
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