Vascular disorders: ankle-brachial pressure index before compression: practice question

A Dermatology 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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Dermatology · Vascular disorders: ankle-brachial pressure index before compression

Sample item

A 68-year-old woman has a painless shallow ulcer above the medial malleolus with surrounding haemosiderin staining and oedema. Before applying high-compression bandaging, which test is essential?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Ankle-brachial pressure index

A venous leg ulcer is treated with compression, but coexisting arterial disease makes high compression dangerous. An ankle-brachial pressure index measured by Doppler is therefore needed first, and high compression is generally avoided when it is below about 0.8. Values below 0.5 suggest severe ischaemia needing vascular referral.

Option by option

  • A. Skin patch test

    Patch tests assess contact allergy.

  • B. Serum ANA

    ANA is unrelated to venous ulceration.

  • C. Ankle-brachial pressure index (correct)

    Correct. ABPI excludes significant arterial disease before compression.

  • D. KOH mount

    KOH assesses fungal infection.

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.

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Questions about this Dermatology question

What is the answer to this Dermatology question?

The best answer is C, Ankle-brachial pressure index. A venous leg ulcer is treated with compression, but coexisting arterial disease makes high compression dangerous.

Why is "Skin patch test" not the answer?

Patch tests assess contact allergy.

Why is "Serum ANA" not the answer?

ANA is unrelated to venous ulceration.

Why is "KOH mount" not the answer?

KOH assesses fungal infection.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Vascular disorders: ankle-brachial pressure index before compression in Dermatology. An ankle-brachial pressure index measured by Doppler is therefore needed first, and high compression is generally avoided when it is below about 0.8. Values below 0.5 suggest severe ischaemia needing vascular referral.

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 Vascular disorders: ankle-brachial pressure index before compression?

Learn each condition by its primary lesion, site and signature sign. Then use the flashcards and the other Dermatology 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.