Pathologically Delicious

I am taking Step One tomorrow. Not to be a super dork, but I actually enjoyed studying for boards. Obviously not all of it, let me explain.

Studying for boards is life consuming. I spent about 12-15 hours a day pouring over facts and drug names, side effects and pathology slides. And doing HORRIBLY on a question bank. It was exhausting, frustrating, mind numbing, but I learned a ridiculous amount of information. Some of it was SO CRAZY!!! Like Lichtenburg figures (Google that NOW - lightning tattoos, anyone?).

And between the hours of learning and endless question answering, I got to spend time with my amazing and hilarious family. Not to mention my new family here at Tufts. Studying with everyone at Sackler for the last time for a long time was, as usual, super goofy. Pictures on whiteboards. Headstands. Quests to find the free food before everyone else. Freak outs. Sackleritis. Lots of memories to look back on fondly. Hopefully I will remember not only the facts and signs and symptoms, but also the amazing memories I made on Harrison Ave.

Also - because I not so secretly love pathology (and super obviously am obsessed with food), I entertained myself during the studying by keeping track of all pathology that was described in the literature with culinary terms. I did a lot of Google image searches. Maybe someday I'll make a coffee table / cookbook with pictures and recipes to go along with the craziest diseases (don't steal this idea - I will NEVER forgive you). Gross? Maybe. Either way, here is my final list. Enjoy!

Sample of my list: 
 

• Anchovy paste exudate - entamoeba histolytic
• Berry aneurism
• Chocolate cyst - endometriosis
• Drumstick bodies – Barr bodies in neutrophils
• Eggshell calcifications on CXR – silicosis
• Fish-mouth valve - mitral stenosis from chronic rheumatic fever
• Green apple birefringence - amylodosis
• Honey crusted vesicles – herpes, impetigo
• Ice cream cone sign – malleus and incus on HRCT
• Jelly belly - pseudomyxoma peritoneus
• Kidney-bean nucleus - histiocytes
• Lemon sign - concave frontal bones on fetal ultrasound indicating spina bifida
• Milk leg - phlegmasia alba dolens
• Onion skin bone - Ewing sarcoma
• Prune belly syndrome - lack of abdominal musculature
• Rice-water diarrhea - cholera
• Scrambled eggs and ketchup - Cmv retinitis
• Tea-colored urine - porphyria cutanea tarda

• Vegetation - fibrin and bacteria collection on a heart valve
• Watermelon stomach - gastric antral vascular ectasia

The full list will be released someday - work in progress!

Sources: Goljan Path, First Aid, Pathoma,Terry SI, Hanchard B, Gastrology: the use of culinary terms in medicine. Br Med J 1979;ii:1636-9,  foodmedicaleponyms.blogspot.com,  the internet, random friends, professors, etc.