Breast: imaging categories: 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: imaging categories

Sample item

A 48-year-old woman has a screening mammogram showing a new cluster of fine pleomorphic microcalcifications and no mass. It is reported as BI-RADS 4. What is the next step?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Stereotactic vacuum-assisted core biopsy

BI-RADS 4 denotes a suspicious abnormality, with a malignancy probability from about 2% to 95%, and requires tissue diagnosis. Calcifications without a mass are sampled under stereotactic guidance with a vacuum-assisted core device. Short-interval follow-up is for BI-RADS 3, and routine screening is for categories 1 and 2.

Option by option

  • A. Stereotactic vacuum-assisted core biopsy (correct)

    Correct. A suspicious category needs histological confirmation, taken under stereotactic guidance for calcifications.

  • B. Repeat mammography in 6 months

    A 6-month follow-up applies to probably benign BI-RADS 3 lesions.

  • C. Immediate mastectomy

    Definitive surgery without a tissue diagnosis is not justified.

  • D. Return to routine annual screening

    Routine screening is for negative or benign findings, which this is not.

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.

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Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Stereotactic vacuum-assisted core biopsy. BI-RADS 4 denotes a suspicious abnormality, with a malignancy probability from about 2% to 95%, and requires tissue diagnosis.

Why is "Repeat mammography in 6 months" not the answer?

A 6-month follow-up applies to probably benign BI-RADS 3 lesions.

Why is "Immediate mastectomy" not the answer?

Definitive surgery without a tissue diagnosis is not justified.

Why is "Return to routine annual screening" not the answer?

Routine screening is for negative or benign findings, which this is not.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Breast: imaging categories in General Surgery. Calcifications without a mass are sampled under stereotactic guidance with a vacuum-assisted core device. Short-interval follow-up is for BI-RADS 3, and routine screening is for categories 1 and 2.

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 Breast: imaging categories?

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.