Chest imaging: pulmonary contusion: practice question

A Radiology 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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Radiology · Chest imaging: pulmonary contusion

Sample item

A man has a road traffic accident and a chest film within an hour shows patchy, non-segmental airspace opacity beneath a rib fracture. What is the expected behaviour of the opacity?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. It appears within hours and clears over several days

Pulmonary contusion from alveolar haemorrhage and oedema appears within hours of blunt trauma, is not limited by segmental boundaries and normally clears in 3 to 7 days. Persistence beyond this suggests complications like infection or aspiration.

Option by option

  • A. It appears within hours and clears over several days (correct)

    Correct. Contusion is early in onset and resolves within days.

  • B. It appears after 3 days and persists for months

    Late appearance suggests aspiration or ARDS.

  • C. It is fixed and calcifies

    Calcification is not expected.

  • D. It cavitates within a week

    Cavitation suggests a traumatic pneumatocele or abscess.

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 Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is A, It appears within hours and clears over several days. Pulmonary contusion from alveolar haemorrhage and oedema appears within hours of blunt trauma, is not limited by segmental boundaries and normally clears in 3 to 7 days.

Why is "It appears after 3 days and persists for months" not the answer?

Late appearance suggests aspiration or ARDS.

Why is "It is fixed and calcifies" not the answer?

Calcification is not expected.

Why is "It cavitates within a week" not the answer?

Cavitation suggests a traumatic pneumatocele or abscess.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Chest imaging: pulmonary contusion in Radiology. Persistence beyond this suggests complications like infection or aspiration.

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 Chest imaging: pulmonary contusion?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology 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.