ABR case studies
ABR · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The American Board of Radiology (ABR) Diagnostic Radiology Qualifying (Core) Exam is the first of the two exams in the DR certification sequence; candidates who pass it later sit the computer-based Certifying Exam (2026 and 2027) or the new DR Oral Exam (after 2027). It is intended for radiology residents who have completed 36 months of residency, and it assesses fundamental knowledge and clinical judgment across all key diagnostic radiology and integrated interventional/diagnostic radiology areas - anatomy, pathophysiology, diagnostic imaging, interventional procedures, and physics. The ABR case studies are 5 cases and about 3,333 words.
1Spontaneous Single-Duct Bloody Nipple Discharge With Negative Imaging
A 47-year-old woman has had 3 weeks of spontaneous, bloody discharge from a single duct of the right breast. She can express it with one finger and has stained two bras.
652 words, about 3 min2A 3.4 cm Renal Mass in a Patient With CKD 3b and Cardiac Comorbidity
A 70-year-old man has an incidental 3.4 cm left renal mass found on CT performed for flank pain. The mass is solid, exophytic, interpolar, abuts but does not invade the sinus fat, and enhances from 32 to 62 HU.
666 words, about 3 min3Acute Lower GI Bleeding in a Patient on Apixaban With a Recent Drug-Eluting Stent
A 76-year-old woman presents with 36 hours of maroon stools and one syncopal episode. Heart rate is 112, blood pressure 94/58 supine, hemoglobin 7.1 g/dL, platelets 210,000, INR 1.1.
650 words, about 3 min4Wake-Up Stroke: Is the Patient 'Out of the Window'?
A 64-year-old man wakes at 06:30 with dense left face and arm weakness and slurred speech. He last felt entirely normal at 22:30 the previous night.
691 words, about 3 min5Urgent Contrast-Enhanced CT in a Patient With Prior Contrast Reaction and eGFR 24
A 58-year-old woman has 6 hours of severe abdominal pain out of proportion to her examination, a lactate of 3.8 mmol/L, and suspected acute mesenteric ischemia. Six years ago she developed hives and facial swelling after a CT with intravenous contrast; she was treated with diphenhydramine and was not intubated.
674 words, about 3 min