Colorectal surgery: toxic megacolon: 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 · Colorectal surgery: toxic megacolon

Sample item

A patient with severe colitis develops fever, tachycardia, abdominal distension, tenderness, and marked colonic dilatation on imaging. What is the diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Toxic megacolon

Toxic megacolon is acute colonic dilatation with systemic toxicity, often complicating severe inflammatory or infectious colitis. It requires urgent surgical and medical management because perforation risk is high.

Option by option

  • A. Chronic anal fissure

    Anal fissure causes localized pain on defecation.

  • B. Simple irritable bowel syndrome

    IBS does not cause colonic dilatation or systemic toxicity.

  • C. Toxic megacolon (correct)

    Correct. Dilatation plus systemic toxicity defines toxic megacolon.

  • D. Uncomplicated hemorrhoids

    Hemorrhoids do not cause abdominal distension and fever.

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, Toxic megacolon. Toxic megacolon is acute colonic dilatation with systemic toxicity, often complicating severe inflammatory or infectious colitis.

Why is "Chronic anal fissure" not the answer?

Anal fissure causes localized pain on defecation.

Why is "Simple irritable bowel syndrome" not the answer?

IBS does not cause colonic dilatation or systemic toxicity.

Why is "Uncomplicated hemorrhoids" not the answer?

Hemorrhoids do not cause abdominal distension and fever.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Colorectal surgery: toxic megacolon in General Surgery. It requires urgent surgical and medical management because perforation risk is high.

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 Colorectal surgery: toxic megacolon?

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.