Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: porcelain gallbladder: 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 · Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: porcelain gallbladder

Sample item

An asymptomatic 60-year-old woman has a calcified gallbladder wall on CT. What is advised?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Cholecystectomy

A calcified gallbladder wall carries an increased risk of gallbladder carcinoma, particularly with selective mucosal calcification, so cholecystectomy is advised. Medical dissolution or surveillance does not remove the risk. Biliary drainage is unnecessary without duct stones.

Option by option

  • A. Cholecystectomy (correct)

    Correct. Cholecystectomy removes the organ at risk of malignancy.

  • B. Ursodeoxycholic acid

    Ursodeoxycholic acid dissolves cholesterol stones and does not treat a calcified wall.

  • C. Yearly ultrasound surveillance

    Surveillance leaves a premalignant gallbladder in place.

  • D. ERCP and stone clearance

    ERCP is for common bile duct stones, which are not present.

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, Cholecystectomy. A calcified gallbladder wall carries an increased risk of gallbladder carcinoma, particularly with selective mucosal calcification, so cholecystectomy is advised.

Why is "Ursodeoxycholic acid" not the answer?

Ursodeoxycholic acid dissolves cholesterol stones and does not treat a calcified wall.

Why is "Yearly ultrasound surveillance" not the answer?

Surveillance leaves a premalignant gallbladder in place.

Why is "ERCP and stone clearance" not the answer?

ERCP is for common bile duct stones, which are not present.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: porcelain gallbladder in General Surgery. Medical dissolution or surveillance does not remove the risk. Biliary drainage is unnecessary without duct stones.

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 Hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery: porcelain gallbladder?

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.