Early pregnancy: anembryonic pregnancy: practice question

A OBG 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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OBG · Early pregnancy: anembryonic pregnancy

Sample item

A woman with 8 weeks of amenorrhoea has a transvaginal scan showing an empty gestational sac with a mean sac diameter of 26 mm and no yolk sac or embryo. What is the diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Anembryonic pregnancy (early pregnancy failure)

A mean sac diameter of 25 mm or more with no embryo diagnoses an anembryonic pregnancy (blighted ovum). Similarly, a crown-rump length of 7 mm or more without cardiac activity indicates failure. These thresholds make the diagnosis safe without waiting.

Option by option

  • A. Anembryonic pregnancy (early pregnancy failure) (correct)

    Correct. A sac of 25 mm or more with no embryo is diagnostic of early pregnancy loss.

  • B. Ectopic pregnancy with pseudosac

    An intrauterine sac of this size is not a pseudosac.

  • C. Normal pregnancy at 5 weeks; repeat in a week

    At 26 mm the sac should already contain an embryo, so waiting is not appropriate.

  • D. Threatened abortion with good prognosis

    The absence of an embryo at this size means the pregnancy is not viable.

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 OBG questions

Questions about this OBG question

What is the answer to this OBG question?

The best answer is A, Anembryonic pregnancy (early pregnancy failure). A mean sac diameter of 25 mm or more with no embryo diagnoses an anembryonic pregnancy (blighted ovum).

Why is "Ectopic pregnancy with pseudosac" not the answer?

An intrauterine sac of this size is not a pseudosac.

Why is "Normal pregnancy at 5 weeks; repeat in a week" not the answer?

At 26 mm the sac should already contain an embryo, so waiting is not appropriate.

Why is "Threatened abortion with good prognosis" not the answer?

The absence of an embryo at this size means the pregnancy is not viable.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Early pregnancy: anembryonic pregnancy in OBG. Similarly, a crown-rump length of 7 mm or more without cardiac activity indicates failure. These thresholds make the diagnosis safe without waiting.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. 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 Early pregnancy: anembryonic pregnancy?

Learn management algorithms as steps: PPH, eclampsia, ectopic pregnancy. Then use the flashcards and the other OBG 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.