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THE MOST
COMMON
CAUSES
USMLE
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MOST COMMON CAUSES (MCC)

1. MCC of folic acid deficiency is nutritional (dietary or alcoholism)
2. MCC of anemia (normocytic normochromic) in end stage renal disease
(ESRD) is due to erythropoietin deficiency
3. MCC of asymptomatic isolated elevation of ALP in an elderly patient is
Pagets disease of the bone (osteitis deformans)
4. MCC of Cushings syndrome is iatrogenic administration of glucocorticoids
5. MCC of death in Churg-Strauss is cardiac dysfunction
6. MCC of osteomyelitis is staph aureus
7. MCC of osteomyelitis in sickle cell patients is staph aureus (salmonella is
exclusively in sickle cell patients)
8. MCC of osteomyelitis in setting of nail-puncture wound is pseudomonas
9. MCC of osteomyelitis in IV Drug Abusers is pseudomonas
10. MCC of death in Friedrichs Ataxia is cardiomyopathy and respiratory
complications
11. MCC of malignant otitis externa is Pseudomonas
12. MCC of otitis media is strep pneumo (strep pneumo > haemophilus >
moraxella)

13. MCC of death in hemochromatosis is cirrhosis

14. MCC of a hepatoma is hemochromatosis
15. MCC cause of impetigo is staph aureus
16. MCC cause of erysipelas is strep pyogenes
17. MCC of INHERITED mental retardation is Fragile X Syndrome
18. MCC of GENETIC mental retardation is Down Syndrome
19. MCC of mental retardation (overall) is Fetal Alcohol Syndrome
20. MCC of bacterial meningitis in adults is strep pneumo
21. MCC of bacterial meningitis in newborns (0 1 months) is group B strep
22. MCC of bacterial meningitis in children (2 18 years) is neisseria
meningitides and Strep pneumo
23. MCC of nephrotic syndrome in adults is membranous glomerulonephritis
24. MCC of nephrotic syndrome in children is minimal change disease (treat
with corticosteroids)
25. MCC of UTI is e. coli
26. MCC of bacterial pneumonia is streptococcus pneumoniae
27. MCC of bacterial pneumonia in alcoholics and diabetics is still
streptococcus pneumoniae (klebsiella pneumoniae is associated with
alcoholics and diabetics)

28. MCC of viral pneumonia are influenza, parainfluenza, respiratory syncytial

virus
29. MCC of pneumonia in children < 1 years of age is respiratory syncytial
virus
30. MCC of pneumonia in AIDS pt is PCP
31. MCC of pneumonia in HIV pt (normal CD4 count) is streptococcus
pneumoniae
32. MCC of stridor in children is laryngomalacia
33. MCC of HUS is e. coli 0157:H7 (Shigella is second MCC)
34. MCC of encephalitis in the US is herpes simplex virus
35. MCC of epistaxis is nose picking
36. MCC of lower GI bleeding in elderly is diverticulosis
37. MCC of adrenal insufficiency in the world is TB
38. MCC of adrenal insufficiency in the US is autoimmune destruction
39. MCC of white reflex in pediatric population is congenital cataract (even
though the most worrisome is retinoblastoma)
40. MCC of death in acute MI is reentry ventricular arrhythmia (V. fib)
41. MCC of thyroid nodule is colloid nodule (second MCC is follicular
adenoma)
42. MCC of posterior fossa brain tumor in pediatric population is cerebellar

astrocytoma (benign and 60% are infratentorial); second MCC solid tumor
in posterior fossa is medulloblastoma (arising from cerebellar vermis)
43. MCC of vitreous hemorrhage is diabetic retinopathy
44. MCC of death due to poisoning in pediatric population is iron poisoning
45. MCC of OTC drug poisoning is acetaminophen
46. MCC of prescription drug poisoning is tricyclic antidepressants
47. MCC of conjunctivitis within 24hrs of birth is chemical conjunctivitis from
silver nitrate
48. MCC of amblyopia is strabismus
49. MCC of death in Marfan syndrome is aortic dissection
50. MCC of death in infants (aged birth 12 months) is birth defects > low birth
weight and prematurity > SIDS
51. MCC of death in infants aged 1 12 months is sudden infant death
syndrome (SIDS)
52. MCC of bowel obstruction in infants aged 3 12 months is intussusception