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Retired NBME 17 Answers

nbme17/Block 1/Question#8 (reveal difficulty score)
A 6-week-old girl is brought to the physician ...
Immature lower esophageal sphincter ๐Ÿ” / ๐Ÿ“บ / ๐ŸŒณ / ๐Ÿ“–
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submitted by โˆ—andro(269)
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Differential Diagnosis of Newborn/Neonatal Vomiting

-Benign gastroesophageal reflux ( i.e immature lower esophageal sphincter ) regurgitation of food shortly after feeding .
No further symptoms , healthy children with normal development

-Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis
Regurgitation - projectile nonbilious vomiting electrolyte imbalances ( alkalosis and hypokalemia ) * physical examination may reveal an olive mass on palpation of epigastrium
*typically starts from between 2nd and 7th week of age

-Midgut volvulus /Malrotation /Duodenal atresia * bilious vomiting * abdominal distention * Imaging may reveal signs like the double bubble sign ( duodenal atresia ) etc

Note: The list is not exhaustive as there are many more causes associated with newborn vomiiting

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covid_19  To add on to Benign GER, I couldn't find anything in a cursory look through FA and also didn't know that GER was a thing in neonates, so I found this nice and concise article in UpToDate: https://www.uptodate.com/contents/gastroesophageal-reflux-in-premature-infants +
i_hate_it_here  I don't understand why Esophageal spasm isn't right +1
topgunber  I would say esophageal spasm would cause immediate regurgitation or inability to swallow properly. so we would be looking for dysphagia. +4
nikitasr27  In general neonates have an immature nervous system (e.g. babinski) and I think that also applies to the ANS. Thatโ€™s why you see so many YouTube videos of babies vomiting out of the blue without even changing their face expression. I donโ€™t knoow, babies are weird +1
pakimd  is immature esophageal sphincter the reason why babies spit up milk when parents burp their babies? +
chaosawaits  babies burp up their milk because they swallow too aggressively when they feed. Burping them helps get rid of some of the air in their stomach and helps prevent distention from too much air, thereby relieving of potential stomach pains. +1

I don't understand why it would be immature LES and then start acting up now?! Shouldn't she have symptoms since she was born?

+10/- brise(86)

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submitted by medbound57(8)
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I think that the answer is not pyloric stenosis, which presents with PROJECTILE non-bilious vomiting 4-6wks (classically first born baby boy).

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submitted by sschulz2013(7)
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@brise - I think it is the same concept as the pyloric sphincter. In pyloric stenosis, it takes a few weeks for the muscle to actually grow enough to cause an obstruction, so perhaps the same concept applies to the LES muscle- hasn't had time to grow enough to keep stomach contents from regurgitating in a newborn. That would make sense why it would resolve over time. Just a thought.

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feochromocytoma  But why did it present only after 5 weeks or so after birth? +
chaosawaits  I originally had "immature LES" until I thought too hard about the late presentation (after 5 weeks). I reasoned a weak LES would present since birth but esophageal spasms could happen sporadically and therefore changed my answer. FML +


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submitted by โˆ—imgdoc(183)
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Just to add to what others have already elaborated upon:

Esophageal spasm - irregular disorganized contractions of esophageal musculature, would cause dysphagia, or immediate regurgitation in this new born. This would probably happen with every feed.

Gut malrotation (Midgut malrotation) - presents with bilious vomiting due to duodenal obstruction via Ladd Bands formation.

Tracheoesophageal atresia - would present with cyanosis, drooling, and excessive coughing. Air would be present in the stomach, and can't pass a nasogastric tube through to the stomach.

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