Table of Contents

Is our reflexive search for a single explanatory diagnosis always reasonable and warranted—or is it truly “just” an academic intellectual exercise?

The patient had a 3-month history of painless oral lumps and intermittent sore throat.

Primary care physicians can start beta-blockers promptly for symptomatic relief, obtain radioactive iodine uptake and scan, and start methimazole if high uptake is noted.

Despite specialty society recommendations, many patients do not receive treatment for substance use disorder in conjunction with heart disease treatment.

While the patient was undergoing treatment for livedoid vasculopathy, her toes started to become purple and she experienced persistent “stinging” pain in her feet.

Intracoronary imaging and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging are key tests in the diagnosis.

Advances in cardiac and coronary imaging and physiologic assessment now allow for a thorough, accurate workup of this condition that accounts for up to 15% of all myocardial infarctions.

These pearls offer evidence-based guidance on issues that physicians are likely to encounter in practice with some frequency.