Vesiculobullous disorders: long-term risk in dermatitis herpetiformis: practice question

A Dermatology 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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Dermatology · Vesiculobullous disorders: long-term risk in dermatitis herpetiformis

Sample item

A man with dermatitis herpetiformis never follows a gluten-free diet and relies on dapsone for 15 years. He develops weight loss and abdominal pain. Which malignancy is he at increased risk of?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Small-bowel T-cell lymphoma

Dermatitis herpetiformis is linked with gluten-sensitive enteropathy, and long-standing uncontrolled disease raises the risk of enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma. A strict gluten-free diet lowers the risk, which dapsone alone cannot do.

Option by option

  • A. Small-bowel T-cell lymphoma (correct)

    Correct. Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma is the recognised complication of untreated gluten enteropathy.

  • B. Gastric adenocarcinoma

    Gastric cancer is not the characteristic malignancy of gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

  • C. Hepatocellular carcinoma

    Hepatocellular carcinoma is linked with cirrhosis, not gluten-sensitive disease.

  • D. Colorectal carcinoma

    Colorectal carcinoma is not specifically raised in dermatitis herpetiformis.

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 Dermatology question

What is the answer to this Dermatology question?

The best answer is A, Small-bowel T-cell lymphoma. Dermatitis herpetiformis is linked with gluten-sensitive enteropathy, and long-standing uncontrolled disease raises the risk of enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma.

Why is "Gastric adenocarcinoma" not the answer?

Gastric cancer is not the characteristic malignancy of gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

Why is "Hepatocellular carcinoma" not the answer?

Hepatocellular carcinoma is linked with cirrhosis, not gluten-sensitive disease.

Why is "Colorectal carcinoma" not the answer?

Colorectal carcinoma is not specifically raised in dermatitis herpetiformis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Vesiculobullous disorders: long-term risk in dermatitis herpetiformis in Dermatology. A strict gluten-free diet lowers the risk, which dapsone alone cannot do.

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 Vesiculobullous disorders: long-term risk in dermatitis herpetiformis?

Learn each condition by its primary lesion, site and signature sign. Then use the flashcards and the other Dermatology 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.