Breast: breast cyst aspiration: 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: breast cyst aspiration

Sample item

A 45-year-old woman has a palpable 3 cm breast lump. Ultrasound shows a simple cyst. At aspiration the fluid is blood-stained. What should be done?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Send the fluid for cytology and evaluate for intracystic malignancy

Straw or green cyst fluid is benign and needs no cytology, but bloody fluid, a residual mass or recurrence needs cytology and further imaging or biopsy. Intracystic papilloma or carcinoma may be responsible. Mastectomy is excessive without a diagnosis.

Option by option

  • A. Perform simple mastectomy

    Mastectomy is not justified before diagnosis.

  • B. Send the fluid for cytology and evaluate for intracystic malignancy (correct)

    Correct. Blood-stained fluid needs cytology and workup.

  • C. Discard the fluid and reassure

    Discarding the fluid could miss a cancer.

  • D. Repeat aspiration monthly

    Repeated aspiration without diagnosis is unsafe.

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 B, Send the fluid for cytology and evaluate for intracystic malignancy. Straw or green cyst fluid is benign and needs no cytology, but bloody fluid, a residual mass or recurrence needs cytology and further imaging or biopsy.

Why is "Perform simple mastectomy" not the answer?

Mastectomy is not justified before diagnosis.

Why is "Discard the fluid and reassure" not the answer?

Discarding the fluid could miss a cancer.

Why is "Repeat aspiration monthly" not the answer?

Repeated aspiration without diagnosis is unsafe.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Breast: breast cyst aspiration in General Surgery. Intracystic papilloma or carcinoma may be responsible. Mastectomy is excessive without a diagnosis.

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: breast cyst aspiration?

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.