Buboes are?

Appeared in: UPRVUNL - 2021

Explanation

Buboes are severely swollen and tender lymph nodes, which are a key part of the body's immune system.
The term specifically refers to a form of acute lymphadenitis, where the swelling and tenderness are signs of intense inflammation, usually caused by a bacterial infection.
Classic diseases that cause buboes include bubonic plague, chancroid, and lymphogranuloma venereum (LGV), making their identification clinically significant.

Option A: Tender muscles are referred to as myalgia. While muscle pain can accompany systemic infections, a bubo is a specific sign related to the lymphatic system, not muscle tissue.
Option B: Enlarged and tender arteries describe arteritis (inflammation of arteries) or possibly an aneurysm. This is a vascular condition, not a lymphatic one.
Option D: Enlarged bones are not related to buboes. Bone enlargement can be a sign of fracture healing, tumors, or metabolic bone diseases like Paget's disease.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Definition and clinical significance of buboes as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Recognizing a bubo is critical for nurses as it can be a hallmark sign of serious, reportable infectious diseases like the plague, or sexually transmitted infections like chancroid and LGV, requiring prompt diagnosis and treatment.
A thorough nursing assessment of an enlarged lymph node includes noting its location, size, tenderness, consistency (soft, firm, rubbery), and mobility, as these characteristics provide vital clues to the underlying cause.
What if? If a patient presents with a swollen lymph node that is hard, non-tender, and fixed to the underlying tissue, the nurse should have a high index of suspicion for malignancy (cancer) rather than an acute infection, and ensure prompt referral for further evaluation like a biopsy.

How to Approach the Question

This is a direct recall question testing medical terminology.
Identify the key term in the question stem: 'Buboes'.
Access your knowledge of medical terms. The term 'bubo' is historically and medically linked to the lymphatic system and specific infections.
Evaluate the options provided: 'Tender muscles' (myalgia), 'enlarged tender arteries' (vascular), 'enlarged bones' (skeletal), and 'enlarged tender lymph nodes' (lymphatic).
Select the option that accurately defines the term. A bubo is, by definition, an inflamed and swollen lymph node.

Concept Tested & Keywords

QzyKCgxEBd1cHEY3lQEDdu

E6 Medicine Harrison 22e Part 1 p. 518-520

E6 PATHOLOGY QUICK REVIEWBased on Harsh Mohan Textbook of PATHOLOGY p. 122-124

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