AP Diagnosis & Syndrome Differentiation 3 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A patient reports palpitations, insomnia, poor memory, and a pale complexion with a thin pale tongue. Which pattern does this indicate?
- Heart Qi Deficiency
- Heart Blood Deficiency (Correct answer)
- Heart Yin Deficiency
- Heart Yang Deficiency
Correct answer: Heart Blood Deficiency
Palpitations, insomnia, poor memory, pale complexion, and pale thin tongue indicate Heart Blood Deficiency failing to nourish the Shen.
Question 2: Which pulse quality is most characteristic of Dampness accumulation in the body?
- Wiry (Xian)
- Slippery (Hua) (Correct answer)
- Tight (Jin)
- Choppy (Se)
Correct answer: Slippery (Hua)
A slippery pulse feels like pearls rolling on a plate and is the classic pulse associated with Dampness or Phlegm.
Question 3: A menopausal woman presents with night sweats, hot flushes, dry mouth at night, malar flush, and a red tongue without coating. What is the pattern?
- Heart Fire Blazing
- Kidney Yin Deficiency with Empty Heat (Correct answer)
- Liver Yang Rising
- Lung Yin Deficiency
Correct answer: Kidney Yin Deficiency with Empty Heat
Night sweats, hot flushes, dry mouth at night, malar flush, and red peeled tongue indicate Kidney Yin Deficiency generating Empty Heat.
Question 4: In the Zang-Fu differentiation, a patient with chronic cough, dry throat, scanty sticky sputum, and a red tongue with little coating most likely has which pattern?
- Lung Phlegm-Damp
- Wind-Cold Attacking the Lung
- Lung Yin Deficiency (Correct answer)
- Lung Qi Deficiency
Correct answer: Lung Yin Deficiency
Chronic dry cough with scanty sticky sputum, dry throat, red tongue with little coating indicate Lung Yin Deficiency.
Question 5: A patient presents with sudden loss of voice, sore throat, fever, and aversion to wind. The tongue is red with thin yellow coating. Which pattern is present?
- Wind-Cold Blocking the Throat
- Wind-Heat Attacking the Lung (Correct answer)
- Kidney Yin Deficiency
- Phlegm-Heat Obstructing the Lung
Correct answer: Wind-Heat Attacking the Lung
Sudden loss of voice with fever, aversion to wind, sore throat, and thin yellow tongue coating indicates Wind-Heat attacking the Lung.
Question 6: During inspection (Wang Zhen), a yellow and dry nasal discharge most likely indicates which pathogenic factor?
- Wind-Cold
- Wind-Heat (Correct answer)
- Dampness
- Cold-Phlegm
Correct answer: Wind-Heat
Yellow dry nasal discharge indicates Wind-Heat or Lung Heat, as heat dries fluids and produces yellow-colored secretions.
Question 7: A patient complains of a feeling of heaviness in the head and body, nausea, sticky taste in the mouth, and a greasy tongue coating. These signs indicate which pathogenic factor?
- Dryness
- Cold
- Dampness (Correct answer)
- Wind
Correct answer: Dampness
Heaviness, nausea, sticky taste, and greasy tongue coating are hallmark signs of Dampness obstructing the Middle Jiao.
AP Diagnosis & Syndrome Differentiation 3
A patient reports palpitations, insomnia, poor memory, and a pale complexion with a thin pale tongue.
Which pattern does this indicate?