Breast and endocrine surgery: accessory breast tissue: 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 and endocrine surgery: accessory breast tissue

Sample item

A woman has soft, tender swellings in both axillae that appear in late pregnancy and enlarge after delivery while she breastfeeds. They settle after weaning. Examination shows no nodes or skin changes. What explains the swellings?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Accessory breast tissue responding to hormones

Accessory (ectopic) breast tissue along the milk line, commonly in the axilla, enlarges under the hormones of pregnancy and lactation. It may even lactate and may later develop disease like normal breast. Excision is considered if symptomatic or suspicious.

Option by option

  • A. Reactive axillary lymphadenopathy

    Reactive nodes would not enlarge and regress with lactation.

  • B. Hidradenitis suppurativa

    Hidradenitis causes recurrent abscesses and sinuses with scarring.

  • C. Lipomas of the axilla

    Lipomas are soft but do not fluctuate with hormonal state.

  • D. Accessory breast tissue responding to hormones (correct)

    Correct. Hormone-responsive swelling that regresses after weaning indicates breast tissue.

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 D, Accessory breast tissue responding to hormones. Accessory (ectopic) breast tissue along the milk line, commonly in the axilla, enlarges under the hormones of pregnancy and lactation.

Why is "Reactive axillary lymphadenopathy" not the answer?

Reactive nodes would not enlarge and regress with lactation.

Why is "Hidradenitis suppurativa" not the answer?

Hidradenitis causes recurrent abscesses and sinuses with scarring.

Why is "Lipomas of the axilla" not the answer?

Lipomas are soft but do not fluctuate with hormonal state.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Breast and endocrine surgery: accessory breast tissue in General Surgery. It may even lactate and may later develop disease like normal breast. Excision is considered if symptomatic or suspicious.

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 Breast and endocrine surgery: accessory breast tissue?

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.