Pancreatic surgery: pancreatic 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.

Try it

General Surgery · Pancreatic surgery: pancreatic cancer

Sample item

An older patient has painless jaundice, weight loss, pale stools, dark urine, and a palpable nontender gallbladder. What diagnosis is most likely?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Carcinoma of the pancreatic head

A pancreatic-head malignancy can obstruct the distal bile duct, causing painless cholestatic jaundice and a distended nontender gallbladder. Cross-sectional imaging and tissue strategy are guided by specialist teams.

Option by option

  • A. Acute cholecystitis

    Cholecystitis causes painful right-upper-quadrant inflammation.

  • B. Irritable bowel syndrome

    IBS does not cause jaundice or weight loss.

  • C. Carcinoma of the pancreatic head (correct)

    Correct. Painless obstructive jaundice with Courvoisier sign is concerning for pancreatic head cancer.

  • D. Viral hepatitis

    Viral hepatitis causes hepatocellular rather than obstructive jaundice 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 C, Carcinoma of the pancreatic head. A pancreatic-head malignancy can obstruct the distal bile duct, causing painless cholestatic jaundice and a distended nontender gallbladder.

Why is "Acute cholecystitis" not the answer?

Cholecystitis causes painful right-upper-quadrant inflammation.

Why is "Irritable bowel syndrome" not the answer?

IBS does not cause jaundice or weight loss.

Why is "Viral hepatitis" not the answer?

Viral hepatitis causes hepatocellular rather than obstructive jaundice pattern.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Pancreatic surgery: pancreatic cancer in General Surgery. Cross-sectional imaging and tissue strategy are guided by specialist teams.

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 Pancreatic surgery: pancreatic 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.