Breast surgery: inflammatory breast cancer: 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 · Breast surgery: inflammatory breast cancer

Sample item

A patient has rapidly developing breast enlargement, erythema, peau d'orange, and axillary nodes without improvement on antibiotics. What diagnosis must be considered?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Inflammatory breast cancer

Inflammatory breast cancer can mimic infection but causes rapid diffuse skin edema from dermal lymphatic invasion. Persistent inflammatory breast change requires urgent specialist assessment.

Option by option

  • A. Galactocele

    Galactocele is a milk-retention cyst in lactation.

  • B. Fibroadenoma

    Fibroadenoma is a discrete benign mobile mass.

  • C. Inflammatory breast cancer (correct)

    Correct. Peau d'orange with nodes and poor antibiotic response is concerning.

  • D. Simple mastitis only

    Mastitis should improve with appropriate treatment and is usually linked to lactation.

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 C, Inflammatory breast cancer. Inflammatory breast cancer can mimic infection but causes rapid diffuse skin edema from dermal lymphatic invasion.

Why is "Galactocele" not the answer?

Galactocele is a milk-retention cyst in lactation.

Why is "Fibroadenoma" not the answer?

Fibroadenoma is a discrete benign mobile mass.

Why is "Simple mastitis only" not the answer?

Mastitis should improve with appropriate treatment and is usually linked to lactation.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Breast surgery: inflammatory breast cancer in General Surgery. Persistent inflammatory breast change requires urgent specialist assessment.

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 Breast surgery: inflammatory breast cancer?

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.