Small bowel: intestinal tuberculosis: 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 · Small bowel: intestinal tuberculosis

Sample item

A young man from an endemic area has chronic right iliac fossa pain, low-grade fever and subacute obstruction. Barium shows a contracted caecum with a patulous ileocaecal valve. Which is the commonest site of intestinal TB?

ADuodenumBIleocaecal regionCRectumDSigmoid colon

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Ileocaecal region

The ileocaecal junction is the usual site because of abundant lymphoid tissue, stasis and a long absorption time. Disease may be ulcerative, hyperplastic or ulcerohyperplastic. Antitubercular therapy is the mainstay, with surgery for obstruction or perforation.

Option by option

A. Duodenum
The duodenum is rarely involved.
B. Ileocaecal region (correct)
Correct. The ileocaecal region is the commonest site of abdominal TB.
C. Rectum
The rectum is rarely affected.
D. Sigmoid colon
The sigmoid colon is an uncommon site.

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 B, Ileocaecal region. The ileocaecal junction is the usual site because of abundant lymphoid tissue, stasis and a long absorption time.

Why is "Duodenum" not the answer?

The duodenum is rarely involved.

Why is "Rectum" not the answer?

The rectum is rarely affected.

Why is "Sigmoid colon" not the answer?

The sigmoid colon is an uncommon site.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Small bowel: intestinal tuberculosis in General Surgery. Disease may be ulcerative, hyperplastic or ulcerohyperplastic. Antitubercular therapy is the mainstay, with surgery for obstruction or perforation.

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 Small bowel: intestinal tuberculosis?

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.