Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: IPMN management: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: IPMN management

Sample item

MRCP in a 65-year-old shows a main pancreatic duct dilated to 12 mm with a cystic lesion communicating with it. What is the best management?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

C. Surgical resection because of high malignant potential

Main-duct IPMN (duct 10 mm or more, or mixed type) carries 40 to 60 percent malignancy risk and is resected in fit patients. Branch-duct lesions under 3 cm without worrisome features are followed with surveillance imaging.

Option by option

  • A. Annual ultrasound only

    Ultrasound alone is inadequate surveillance for this lesion.

  • B. Needle aspiration and discharge

    Aspiration does not remove the risk.

  • C. Surgical resection because of high malignant potential (correct)

    Correct. Main-duct disease warrants resection.

  • D. No follow-up

    Ignoring a high-risk lesion is unsafe.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is C, Surgical resection because of high malignant potential. Main-duct IPMN (duct 10 mm or more, or mixed type) carries 40 to 60 percent malignancy risk and is resected in fit patients.

Why is "Annual ultrasound only" not the answer?

Ultrasound alone is inadequate surveillance for this lesion.

Why is "Needle aspiration and discharge" not the answer?

Aspiration does not remove the risk.

Why is "No follow-up" not the answer?

Ignoring a high-risk lesion is unsafe.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: IPMN management in General Surgery. Branch-duct lesions under 3 cm without worrisome features are followed with surveillance imaging.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: IPMN management?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.