Gastrointestinal surgery: gastric antral vascular ectasia: 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 · Gastrointestinal surgery: gastric antral vascular ectasia

Sample item

An elderly woman has chronic iron deficiency anaemia needing repeated transfusion. Endoscopy shows red longitudinal stripes converging on the pylorus, with no varices or ulcer. What is the best endoscopic treatment of the cause of her bleeding?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Argon plasma coagulation

The pattern of antral stripes ('watermelon stomach') is gastric antral vascular ectasia. Argon plasma coagulation ablates the ectatic mucosal vessels and is the first-line endoscopic therapy.

Option by option

  • A. Distal gastrectomy as first-line therapy

    Resection is reserved for refractory bleeding after endoscopic therapy fails.

  • B. Argon plasma coagulation (correct)

    Correct. Argon plasma coagulation ablates the ectatic vessels of this lesion.

  • C. Hemoclip placement on an ulcer base

    There is no ulcer base to clip.

  • D. Band ligation

    Band ligation treats oesophageal varices, which are absent here.

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, Argon plasma coagulation. The pattern of antral stripes ('watermelon stomach') is gastric antral vascular ectasia.

Why is "Distal gastrectomy as first-line therapy" not the answer?

Resection is reserved for refractory bleeding after endoscopic therapy fails.

Why is "Hemoclip placement on an ulcer base" not the answer?

There is no ulcer base to clip.

Why is "Band ligation" not the answer?

Band ligation treats oesophageal varices, which are absent here.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Gastrointestinal surgery: gastric antral vascular ectasia in General Surgery. Argon plasma coagulation ablates the ectatic mucosal vessels and is the first-line endoscopic therapy.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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 Gastrointestinal surgery: gastric antral vascular ectasia?

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.