Question:hard
Differential diagnosis of pre-menstrual tension includes all of the following except:
Differential diagnosis of pre-menstrual tension includes all of the following except:
Show Hint
Core psychiatric differentials for PMT are depression, panic disorder, and GAD; CFS is a separate general medical diagnosis.
Updated On: Jul 8, 2026
- Psychiatric depressive disorder
- Panic disorder
- General anxiety disorder
- Chronic fatigue syndrome
Show Solution
The Correct Option is D
Solution and Explanation
Step 1: Understanding the Question:
Premenstrual tension causes mood swings, irritability and physical discomfort that show up before the period and settle once bleeding starts. Several other conditions can mimic it, so doctors keep a differential list. We need to pick the option that sits outside the usual differential grouping.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
The classic differentials taught alongside PMT are conditions whose symptoms do NOT clear with the onset of menses, chiefly depressive disorder, panic disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder, since these mood and anxiety states can be confused with the premenstrual mood change but persist across the whole cycle.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Depressive disorder can present with low mood and fatigue that look like PMT but continue after the period starts, so it must be ruled out.
Panic disorder causes sudden anxiety attacks with physical symptoms that can be mistaken for premenstrual anxiety, so it is checked too.
Generalised anxiety disorder causes constant, cycle independent worry that can overlap with premenstrual irritability.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is its own separate diagnosis built around long lasting unexplained tiredness with defined diagnostic criteria, and it is usually taught as a general medical condition to exclude rather than as one of the core psychiatric mood and anxiety differentials paired with PMT. This makes it the odd one out among the four options.
This paper did not print an official answer for this question in 2002, so this reasoning is based on the standard teaching grouping rather than a printed key.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The condition that stands apart from the core psychiatric differential list for PMT is chronic fatigue syndrome.
\[ \boxed{\text{Chronic fatigue syndrome}} \]
Premenstrual tension causes mood swings, irritability and physical discomfort that show up before the period and settle once bleeding starts. Several other conditions can mimic it, so doctors keep a differential list. We need to pick the option that sits outside the usual differential grouping.
Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
The classic differentials taught alongside PMT are conditions whose symptoms do NOT clear with the onset of menses, chiefly depressive disorder, panic disorder, and generalised anxiety disorder, since these mood and anxiety states can be confused with the premenstrual mood change but persist across the whole cycle.
Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Depressive disorder can present with low mood and fatigue that look like PMT but continue after the period starts, so it must be ruled out.
Panic disorder causes sudden anxiety attacks with physical symptoms that can be mistaken for premenstrual anxiety, so it is checked too.
Generalised anxiety disorder causes constant, cycle independent worry that can overlap with premenstrual irritability.
Chronic fatigue syndrome is its own separate diagnosis built around long lasting unexplained tiredness with defined diagnostic criteria, and it is usually taught as a general medical condition to exclude rather than as one of the core psychiatric mood and anxiety differentials paired with PMT. This makes it the odd one out among the four options.
This paper did not print an official answer for this question in 2002, so this reasoning is based on the standard teaching grouping rather than a printed key.
Step 4: Final Answer:
The condition that stands apart from the core psychiatric differential list for PMT is chronic fatigue syndrome.
\[ \boxed{\text{Chronic fatigue syndrome}} \]
Was this answer helpful?
0
