OVERVIEW
This page is dedicated to organizing various examples of standardized exam questions whose answer is premenstrual syndrome. While this may seem a odd practice, it is useful to see multiple examples of how premenstrual syndrome will be characterized on standardized exams (namely the boards and the shelf exams). This page is not meant to be used as a tradition question bank (as all of the answers will be the same), however seeing the classic “test” characterization for a disease is quite valuable.
QUESTION EXAMPLES
Question # 1
A 41 year old woman comes to the clinic because of recurrent bloating, fatigue, and hot flashes that improve after menses. She explains that these symptoms have been occurring for the past 3 months, and make her feel “very cranky”. The patient has missed work in the past because of these symptoms. Her last menstrual period was 3 weeks ago. Menses occur every 28 days, last 6 days, and she has 2 days of heavy flow. She has a history of migraines with aura, and is taking propranolol to manage this condition. She takes no other medications, and has no known drug allergies. She is monogamous with her boyfriend, and they sue condoms for birth control. Her physical examination is normal. What is the likely diagnosis in this patient?
Page Updated: 10.09.2016