Perioperative care: keratoacanthoma: 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 · Perioperative care: keratoacanthoma

Sample item

A 60-year-old has a dome-shaped nodule with a central keratin plug that grew over six weeks on sun-exposed facial skin. Histology resembles a well-differentiated squamous carcinoma. What is its natural history?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Can regress spontaneously, but excision is advised as it mimics carcinoma

Keratoacanthoma grows rapidly and can involute over months, leaving a scar, but it is hard to distinguish from squamous carcinoma, so excisional biopsy is advised.

Option by option

  • A. Metastasises early to regional nodes

    Early nodal spread is not typical.

  • B. Always progresses to melanoma

    It is a squamous lesion, not melanoma.

  • C. Can regress spontaneously, but excision is advised as it mimics carcinoma (correct)

    Correct. It can regress, though excision is standard.

  • D. Needs lifelong immunosuppression

    Immunosuppression is not a treatment.

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.

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Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is C, Can regress spontaneously, but excision is advised as it mimics carcinoma. Keratoacanthoma grows rapidly and can involute over months, leaving a scar, but it is hard to distinguish from squamous carcinoma, so excisional biopsy is advised.

Why is "Metastasises early to regional nodes" not the answer?

Early nodal spread is not typical.

Why is "Always progresses to melanoma" not the answer?

It is a squamous lesion, not melanoma.

Why is "Needs lifelong immunosuppression" not the answer?

Immunosuppression is not a treatment.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Perioperative care: keratoacanthoma in General Surgery. The correct option holds because: Correct. It can regress, though excision is standard.

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 Perioperative care: keratoacanthoma?

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.