Paediatric surgery: phimosis in a child: 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 · Paediatric surgery: phimosis in a child

Sample item

A 6-year-old boy has a non-retractile foreskin with ballooning during micturition and a narrow tip, with no white scarring and no infections. What is the first-line treatment?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Topical corticosteroid cream

Phimosis in a child without scarring responds to a course of topical steroid applied to the foreskin tip in most boys, avoiding surgery. Circumcision is kept for failure, scarring such as balanitis xerotica obliterans, or recurrent balanoposthitis. Forced retraction causes tears and scarring.

Option by option

  • A. Forceful retraction under anaesthesia

    Forceful retraction can tear the prepuce and cause scarring and worsening phimosis.

  • B. Dorsal slit

    A dorsal slit is an emergency or limited procedure and not first-line treatment.

  • C. Immediate circumcision

    Circumcision is reserved for treatment failure or pathological scarring.

  • D. Topical corticosteroid cream (correct)

    Correct. Topical steroid is effective first-line treatment for non-scarring phimosis.

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 General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is D, Topical corticosteroid cream. Phimosis in a child without scarring responds to a course of topical steroid applied to the foreskin tip in most boys, avoiding surgery.

Why is "Forceful retraction under anaesthesia" not the answer?

Forceful retraction can tear the prepuce and cause scarring and worsening phimosis.

Why is "Dorsal slit" not the answer?

A dorsal slit is an emergency or limited procedure and not first-line treatment.

Why is "Immediate circumcision" not the answer?

Circumcision is reserved for treatment failure or pathological scarring.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Paediatric surgery: phimosis in a child in General Surgery. Circumcision is kept for failure, scarring such as balanitis xerotica obliterans, or recurrent balanoposthitis. Forced retraction causes tears and scarring.

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 Paediatric surgery: phimosis in a child?

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.