Chest imaging: loculated pleural effusion: 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: loculated pleural effusion

Sample item

A patient with pneumonia has a persistent, non-layering pleural opacity on the right. Ultrasound shows echogenic fluid with septa. Which step is most appropriate for sampling and drainage?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Ultrasound-guided drainage with a chest drain

Septated or loculated fluid is best drained under ultrasound guidance, which shows the safest pocket and avoids injury to adjacent organs. Complicated parapneumonic effusions need prompt drainage. Blind aspiration risks missing the collection or causing pneumothorax.

Option by option

  • A. Observation for several weeks

    Delay risks progression to empyema.

  • B. Ultrasound-guided drainage with a chest drain (correct)

    Correct. Image guidance targets the loculated pocket.

  • C. Blind needle aspiration at the base

    Blind aspiration is unsafe and unreliable in loculated disease.

  • D. Repeat decubitus film

    A decubitus film does not help in a loculated effusion.

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 B, Ultrasound-guided drainage with a chest drain. Septated or loculated fluid is best drained under ultrasound guidance, which shows the safest pocket and avoids injury to adjacent organs.

Why is "Observation for several weeks" not the answer?

Delay risks progression to empyema.

Why is "Blind needle aspiration at the base" not the answer?

Blind aspiration is unsafe and unreliable in loculated disease.

Why is "Repeat decubitus film" not the answer?

A decubitus film does not help in a loculated effusion.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Chest imaging: loculated pleural effusion in Radiology. Complicated parapneumonic effusions need prompt drainage. Blind aspiration risks missing the collection or causing pneumothorax.

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: loculated pleural effusion?

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.