Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: amoebic liver abscess treatment: 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 · Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: amoebic liver abscess treatment

Sample item

A man with a solitary right-lobe amoebic liver abscess has improved clinically after a ten-day course of metronidazole. Which drug should follow to clear the intestinal carrier state?

APraziquantelBAlbendazoleCIvermectinDDiloxanide furoate

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Diloxanide furoate

Metronidazole kills the invasive trophozoites in tissue but does not reliably clear cysts from the bowel lumen. A luminal amoebicide such as diloxanide furoate or paromomycin is therefore given afterwards to prevent relapse and spread.

Option by option

A. Praziquantel
Praziquantel treats schistosomes and liver flukes such as Clonorchis.
B. Albendazole
Albendazole is used for hydatid disease and other helminths, not for amoebiasis.
C. Ivermectin
Ivermectin treats strongyloidiasis and scabies.
D. Diloxanide furoate (correct)
Correct. Diloxanide furoate acts in the lumen on the cyst-forming stage.

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.

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is D, Diloxanide furoate. Metronidazole kills the invasive trophozoites in tissue but does not reliably clear cysts from the bowel lumen.

Why is "Praziquantel" not the answer?

Praziquantel treats schistosomes and liver flukes such as Clonorchis.

Why is "Albendazole" not the answer?

Albendazole is used for hydatid disease and other helminths, not for amoebiasis.

Why is "Ivermectin" not the answer?

Ivermectin treats strongyloidiasis and scabies.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: amoebic liver abscess treatment in General Surgery. A luminal amoebicide such as diloxanide furoate or paromomycin is therefore given afterwards to prevent relapse and spread.

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 Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: amoebic liver abscess treatment?

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.