Common terms and phrases
109/l platelets 76–96fl White cell abdominal pain abscess acute amylase anal analgesia aneurysm ANSWER antibiotics artery assessment atrial fibrillation bilirubin biopsy bladder bleeding blood pressure bowel breast C-reactive protein cancer carcinoma cause cell volume 86fl cent of patients cervical chest is clear clinic common Computerized tomography Creatinine CT scan diabetes diagnosis Differential diagnoses digital rectal examination disease distal diverticulum emergency department endoscopy examination is unremarkable femoral fluid fracture full blood count gallstones haematoma haemoglobin hernia hypertension infection inguinal injury intravenous INVESTIGATIONS Normal haemoglobin KEY POINTS knee lymph nodes malignancy mean cell volume medical history mmHg mmol/l potassium obstruction ofthe palpable patient be managed performed peritonitis plain x-ray platelets postoperative present prior to surgery prostate pulse rate Questions renal resection risk factors shown in Figure sigmoidoscopy Sodium steroids swelling symptoms syndrome tenderness trauma treatment tumour ulcer ultrasound urea urinary tract urine vein venous vomiting White cell count

A 64-year-old woman has been referred to the on-call general surgical team by her GP. She has been complaining of pain in the upper part of her abdomen and generalized itching. Her daughter has also noticed a yellowish discolouration of her skin. The symptoms started a week ago and are gradually getting worse. You have been assigned her initial assessment...

100 Cases in Surgery presents 100 scenarios requiring surgical treatment commonly seen by medical students and junior doctors in the emergency department or outpatient clinic. A succinct summary of the patient's history, examination, and initial investigations—including photographs where relevant—is followed by questions on the diagnosis and management of each case. The answer includes a detailed discussion on each topic, with further illustration where appropriate, providing an essential revision aid as well as a practical guide for students and junior doctors.

Making speedy and appropriate clinical decisions, and choosing the best course of action to take as a result, is one of the most important and challenging parts of training to become a doctor. These true-to-life cases will teach students and junior doctors to recognize important surgical conditions, and help to develop their diagnostic and management skills.