Toxicology: benzene exposure: practice question

A Forensic Medicine 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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Forensic Medicine · Toxicology: benzene exposure

Sample item

A shoe-factory worker exposed to solvent vapours for years develops pancytopenia with a hypocellular bone marrow. Which solvent is the likely cause?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Benzene

Chronic benzene exposure causes bone marrow depression, aplastic anaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia. Toluene mainly affects the nervous system and kidney, ethanol has no such effect and methylene chloride is metabolised to carbon monoxide.

Option by option

  • A. Methylene chloride

    Methylene chloride is metabolised to carboxyhaemoglobin.

  • B. Toluene

    Toluene mainly causes neurological and renal toxicity.

  • C. Ethanol

    Ethanol does not cause marrow aplasia at industrial exposures.

  • D. Benzene (correct)

    Correct. Benzene damages marrow stem cells and causes aplastic anaemia.

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 Forensic Medicine question

What is the answer to this Forensic Medicine question?

The best answer is D, Benzene. Chronic benzene exposure causes bone marrow depression, aplastic anaemia and acute myeloid leukaemia.

Why is "Methylene chloride" not the answer?

Methylene chloride is metabolised to carboxyhaemoglobin.

Why is "Toluene" not the answer?

Toluene mainly causes neurological and renal toxicity.

Why is "Ethanol" not the answer?

Ethanol does not cause marrow aplasia at industrial exposures.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Toxicology: benzene exposure in Forensic Medicine. Toluene mainly affects the nervous system and kidney, ethanol has no such effect and methylene chloride is metabolised to carbon monoxide.

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 Toxicology: benzene exposure?

Learn postmortem changes with their timelines, and toxicology as poison, sign, test and antidote. Then use the flashcards and the other Forensic Medicine 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.