Cancer: oral submucous fibrosis: practice question

A PSM 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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PSM · Cancer: oral submucous fibrosis

Sample item

A 28-year-old man has chewed areca nut sachets for 8 years. He complains of burning with spicy food and difficulty opening the mouth. Examination shows blanched buccal mucosa with palpable fibrous bands and an inter-incisor distance of 20 mm. What is the diagnosis and its public health importance?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Oral submucous fibrosis, a potentially malignant disorder

Oral submucous fibrosis is a chronic fibrosing disorder strongly linked to areca nut chewing, common in India. It causes burning, blanching, fibrous bands and trismus, and carries a significant risk of oral cancer, so cessation counselling and regular oral examination are essential.

Option by option

  • A. Oral candidiasis, an opportunistic infection

    Candidiasis gives removable white plaques, not fibrous bands and blanching.

  • B. Verrucous carcinoma, an established malignancy with no premalignant phase

    Verrucous carcinoma is a warty exophytic malignancy and does not cause diffuse blanching with bands.

  • C. Tetanus, a vaccine-preventable infection

    Tetanus trismus is acute and accompanied by spasms, not a gradual onset with mucosal fibrosis.

  • D. Oral submucous fibrosis, a potentially malignant disorder (correct)

    Correct. The areca nut exposure, blanching, bands and trismus are typical of oral submucous fibrosis.

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 PSM questions

Questions about this PSM question

What is the answer to this PSM question?

The best answer is D, Oral submucous fibrosis, a potentially malignant disorder. Oral submucous fibrosis is a chronic fibrosing disorder strongly linked to areca nut chewing, common in India.

Why is "Oral candidiasis, an opportunistic infection" not the answer?

Candidiasis gives removable white plaques, not fibrous bands and blanching.

Why is "Verrucous carcinoma, an established malignancy with no premalignant p…" not the answer?

Verrucous carcinoma is a warty exophytic malignancy and does not cause diffuse blanching with bands.

Why is "Tetanus, a vaccine-preventable infection" not the answer?

Tetanus trismus is acute and accompanied by spasms, not a gradual onset with mucosal fibrosis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Cancer: oral submucous fibrosis in PSM. It causes burning, blanching, fibrous bands and trismus, and carries a significant risk of oral cancer, so cessation counselling and regular oral examination are essential.

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 Cancer: oral submucous fibrosis?

Practise biostatistics with small calculations until sensitivity, predictive values and risk measures are automatic. Then use the flashcards and the other PSM 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.