Acute abdomen: mesenteric ischemia: 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 · Acute abdomen: mesenteric ischemia

Sample item

An older patient with atrial fibrillation develops sudden severe abdominal pain but has minimal tenderness on early examination. Which diagnosis should be strongly suspected?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Acute mesenteric ischemia

Acute mesenteric ischemia classically produces pain out of proportion to early physical findings, especially in patients with embolic risk such as atrial fibrillation. It is a time-critical vascular emergency.

Option by option

  • A. Irritable bowel syndrome

    IBS is chronic and does not cause an acute vascular emergency pattern.

  • B. Uncomplicated gastroenteritis

    Gastroenteritis usually causes diarrhea and diffuse cramping rather than this high-risk mismatch.

  • C. Acute cholecystitis

    Cholecystitis typically causes right-upper-quadrant tenderness and fever.

  • D. Acute mesenteric ischemia (correct)

    Correct. Embolic risk plus disproportionate pain is a classic warning pattern.

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 D, Acute mesenteric ischemia. Acute mesenteric ischemia classically produces pain out of proportion to early physical findings, especially in patients with embolic risk such as atrial fibrillation.

Why is "Irritable bowel syndrome" not the answer?

IBS is chronic and does not cause an acute vascular emergency pattern.

Why is "Uncomplicated gastroenteritis" not the answer?

Gastroenteritis usually causes diarrhea and diffuse cramping rather than this high-risk mismatch.

Why is "Acute cholecystitis" not the answer?

Cholecystitis typically causes right-upper-quadrant tenderness and fever.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Acute abdomen: mesenteric ischemia in General Surgery. It is a time-critical vascular emergency.

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 Acute abdomen: mesenteric ischemia?

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.