Transplantation: acute cellular rejection: 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.

Try it

General Surgery · Transplantation: acute cellular rejection

Sample item

Two weeks after renal transplantation, a patient has fever, graft tenderness and a rising creatinine. Biopsy shows lymphocytic tubulitis. What is the first-line treatment?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. High-dose pulse corticosteroids

Acute cellular rejection is mediated by recipient T cells attacking the graft and generally responds to pulse methylprednisolone. Resistant cases receive anti-thymocyte globulin. Biopsy confirms the diagnosis and distinguishes it from calcineurin inhibitor toxicity.

Option by option

  • A. High-dose pulse corticosteroids (correct)

    Correct. Steroids are the standard first treatment.

  • B. Stopping all immunosuppression

    Stopping immunosuppression would worsen rejection.

  • C. Antibiotics

    Antibiotics do not treat rejection.

  • D. Graft nephrectomy

    Nephrectomy is not required for treatable rejection.

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 A, High-dose pulse corticosteroids. Acute cellular rejection is mediated by recipient T cells attacking the graft and generally responds to pulse methylprednisolone.

Why is "Stopping all immunosuppression" not the answer?

Stopping immunosuppression would worsen rejection.

Why is "Antibiotics" not the answer?

Antibiotics do not treat rejection.

Why is "Graft nephrectomy" not the answer?

Nephrectomy is not required for treatable rejection.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Transplantation: acute cellular rejection in General Surgery. Resistant cases receive anti-thymocyte globulin. Biopsy confirms the diagnosis and distinguishes it from calcineurin inhibitor toxicity.

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 Transplantation: acute cellular rejection?

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.