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Question 1
Incorrect
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When a penile tumour invades the subepithelial connective tissue of the penis, what is its stage?
Your Answer: T2
Correct Answer: T1
Explanation:The TNM staging used for penile cancer is as follows:
TX: primary tumour cannot be assessed
T0: primary tumour is not evident
Tis: carcinoma in situ is present
Ta: non-invasive verrucous carcinoma is present
T1: tumour is invading subepithelial connective tissue
T2: tumour is invading the corpora spongiosum or cavernosum
T3: tumour invading the urethra or prostate
T4: tumour invading other adjacent structures.
In this case, the patient has a T1 tumour. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 2
Correct
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A 25-year-old woman is undergoing an appendicectomy for perforated appendicitis. What is the single most important modality for reducing the risks of postoperative wound infection?
Your Answer: Perioperative administration of antibiotics
Explanation:Perioperative administration of antibiotics is very important for reducing the risks of postoperative wound infection. Clips make infections easier to manage but do not reduce the risks. Drains have no effect on the skin wounds in these cases.
Surgical site infections (SSI) comprise up to 20% of all healthcare-associated infections and at least 5% of patients undergoing surgery will develop an SSI as a result. SSIs may occur following a breach in tissue surfaces and allow normal commensals and other pathogens to initiate infection. The organisms are mostly derived from the patient’s own body.
SSIs are a major cause of morbidity and mortality.
Some preoperative measures that may increase the risk of SSI include:
1. Shaving the wound using a razor (disposable clipper preferred)
2. Tissue hypoxia
3. Delayed administration of prophylactic antibiotics in tourniquet surgerySSIs can be prevented by taking certain precautionary steps pre-, intra-, and postoperatively.
1. Preoperatively:
a. Do not remove body hair routinely
b. If hair needs removal, use electrical clippers (razors increase the risk of infection)
c. Antibiotic prophylaxis if:
– placement of prosthesis or valve
– clean-contaminated surgery
– contaminated surgery2. Intraoperatively:
a. Prepare the skin with alcoholic chlorhexidine (Lowest incidence of SSI)
b. Cover surgical site with dressing3. Postoperatively:
a. Prevention of incisional infection by appropriate cleansing, skin care, and moisture management
b.Tissue viability advice for management of surgical wound healing by secondary intention -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Principles Of Surgery-in-General
- Surgical Technique And Technology
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Question 3
Incorrect
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A medical student is asked to calculate the net pressure difference in a capillary wall, considering: Interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure = –3 mmHg, Plasma colloid osmotic pressure = 28 mmHg, Capillary hydrostatic pressure = 17 mmHg, Interstitial fluid colloid osmotic pressure = 8 mmHg, and Filtration coefficient = 1. Which is the correct answer?
Your Answer: -3 mmHg
Correct Answer: 0 mmHg
Explanation:The rate of filtration at any point along a capillary depends on a balance of forces sometimes called Starling’s forces after the physiologist who first described their operation in detail. The Starling principle of fluid exchange is key to understanding how plasma fluid (solvent) within the bloodstream (intravascular fluid) moves to the space outside the bloodstream (extravascular space). Fluid movement = k[(pc– pi)–(Πc– Πi)] where k = capillary filtration coefficient, pc = capillary hydrostatic pressure, pi= interstitial hydrostatic pressure, Πc = capillary colloid osmotic pressure, Πi = interstitial colloid osmotic pressure. Therefore: 1 × [capillary hydrostatic pressure (17) – interstitial fluid hydrostatic pressure (–3)] – [plasma colloid osmotic pressure (28) – interstitial fluid colloid osmotic pressure (8)] = 0 mmHg
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 4
Correct
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Which of the deep fasciae located in the anterolateral abdominal wall form the inguinal ligament?
Your Answer: External abdominal oblique aponeurosis
Explanation:The inguinal ligament is the inferior border of the aponeurosis of the external oblique abdominis and extends from the anterior superior iliac spine to the pubic tubercle from whence it is reflected backward and laterally to attach to the pectineal line and form the lacunar ligament.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Basic Sciences
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Question 5
Correct
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A 39 year old hiker slips down a slope and injures her hand on an oak tree. On examination, she is tender in the anatomical snuffbox and on bimanual palpation. X-rays with scaphoid views show no evidence of fracture. What is the most appropriate course of action?
Your Answer: Application of futura splint and fracture clinic review
Explanation:A scaphoid fracture is a break of the scaphoid bone in the wrist. Symptoms generally include pain at the base of the thumb which is worse with use of the hand. The anatomic snuffbox is generally tender and swelling may occur. Complications may include non-union of the fracture, avascular necrosis, and arthritis.
Scaphoid fractures are most commonly caused by a fall on an outstretched hand. Diagnosis is generally based on examination and medical imaging. Some fractures may not be visible on plain X-rays. In such cases a person may be casted with repeat X-rays in two weeks or an MRI or bone scan may be done.
Scaphoid fractures are often diagnosed by PA and lateral X-rays. However, not all fractures are apparent initially. Therefore, people with tenderness over the scaphoid (those who exhibit pain to pressure in the anatomic snuff box) are often splinted in a thumb spica for 7–10 days at which point a second set of X-rays is taken. If there was a hairline fracture, healing may now be apparent. Even then a fracture may not be apparent. A CT Scan can then be used to evaluate the scaphoid with greater resolution. The use of MRI, if available, is preferred over CT and can give one an immediate diagnosis. Bone scintigraphy is also an effective method for diagnosing a fracture which does not appear on x-ray. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Generic Surgical Topics
- Orthopaedics
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Question 6
Incorrect
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A 45-year-old male is involved in a road traffic accident. He suffers significant injuries to his thorax, he has bilateral haemopneumothoraces and a suspected haemopericardium. He is to undergo surgery, what is the best method of accessing these injuries?
Your Answer: Midline sternotomy
Correct Answer: Clam shell thoracotomy
Explanation:Thoracic trauma accounts for > 25% of all traumatic injuries and is a leading cause of death in all age groups. The majority of thoracic trauma patients require only conservative management (e.g. analgesia, simple chest drainage). However, a subset of these patients will show signs of deterioration in the emergency department, especially with penetrating injuries. Such patients may require an emergency thoracotomy for rapid access to the thoracic cavity so that pericardial tamponade can be released and haemorrhage controlled. Furthermore, in severe thoracic trauma cases, specific injuries are difficult to confidently rule out or identify, even if they can be anticipated. Therefore, it is recommended to use an approach that provides the most rapid access to all vital chest organs for assessment and control.
Clamshell thoracotomy (also known as bilateral anterolateral thoracotomy) or hemi-clamshell (longitudinal sternotomy and anterolateral thoracotomy) are techniques used to provide complete exposure of the thoracic cavity (heart, mediastinum and lungs). Studies have demonstrated that it is easier to control the cardiac wound using this approach compared to the standard left anterolateral thoracotomy, as it gives wider exposure for all injuries, which are then easier to control surgically through the larger incision.
Contraindications:
Absolute:
– Traumatic cardiac arrest where the underlying pathology is so severe as to render the procedure futile (e.g. severe traumatic brain injury)
Relative:
Blunt cardiac injury with no signs of life or organised cardiac rhythm -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Emergency Medicine And Management Of Trauma
- Principles Of Surgery-in-General
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Question 7
Correct
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A 41 year old woman presents with severe anal pain on defecation and fresh blood which is only seen on the tissue. She states that she is too sore to tolerate a rectal examination at clinic. What would be the most appropriate initial management?
Your Answer: Glyceryl trinitrate (0.2–0.4%) applied topically
Explanation:An anal fissure is a painful linear tear or crack in the distal anal canal, which, in the short term, usually involves only the epithelium and, in the long term, involves the full thickness of the anal mucosa. Typically, the patient reports severe pain during a bowel movement, with the pain lasting several minutes to hours afterward. The pain recurs with every bowel movement, and the patient commonly becomes afraid or unwilling to have a bowel movement, leading to a cycle of worsening constipation, harder stools, and more anal pain. Approximately 70% of patients note bright-red blood on the toilet paper or stool. Occasionally, a few drops may fall in the toilet bowl, but significant bleeding does not usually occur with an anal fissure.
Second-line medical therapy consists of intra-anal application of 0.4% nitro-glycerine (NTG; also called glycerol trinitrate) ointment directly to the internal sphincter. Nitro-glycerine rectal ointment is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for moderate-to-severe pain associated with anal fissures and may be considered when conservative therapies have failed. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Colorectal Surgery
- Generic Surgical Topics
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Question 8
Correct
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After having donated a unit of blood. The blood bank will prefer to use which of the following anticoagulants to store the blood?
Your Answer: Citrate
Explanation:Calcium is necessary for coagulation to occur. Citrate being a chelator and combining with calcium ions to form un-ionised compound will prevent coagulation. Following transfusion the citrate is removed by the liver with in a few minutes. Oxalate also works on the same principle but it is toxic to the body.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 9
Correct
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What is the basic chemical reaction that takes place in the breakdown of complex foodstuffs?
Your Answer: Hydrolysis
Explanation:Breakdown of complex food into simpler compounds is achieved by hydrolysis, with the help of different enzymes specific for different compounds.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 10
Correct
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An 8 year old boy presents with a history of repeated bacterial/pyogenic infections. He had a normal recovery from chickenpox and measles and shows normal antibody response. A decrease in which of the cell types can best explain this history of repeated pyogenic infections?
Your Answer: Neutrophils
Explanation:A decrease in the number of granulocytes, particularly neutrophils is known as agranulocytosis and it increases the susceptibility of an individual towards recurrent infections. Neutropenia can be either due to decreased production or increased elimination of neutrophils.
Ineffective agranulopoiesis is seen in: 1. myeloid stem cell suppression, 2. disease conditions associated with granulopoiesis such as megaloblastic anaemia and myelodysplastic syndromes, 3. rare genetic diseases, 4. splenic sequestration and 5. increased peripheral utilization. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 11
Correct
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After a cerebral infarction, which of these histopathogical findings is most likely to be found?
Your Answer: Liquefactive necrosis
Explanation:The brain has a high lipid content and typically undergoes liquefaction with ischaemic injury, because it contains little connective tissue but high amounts of digestive enzymes.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 12
Correct
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During a clinical rotation in the ENT clinic, you observe a flexible bronchoscopy. As the scope is passed down the trachea, you see a cartilaginous structure that resembles a ship's keel and separates the right and the left main stem bronchi. This structure is the:
Your Answer: Carina
Explanation:The carina (a keel-like cartilage) is found at the bifurcation of the trachea separating the right from the left main stem bronchi. It is a little more to the left than to the right.
The cricoid cartilage is the inferior and posterior cartilage of the larynx.
The costal cartilage on the other hand elongates the ribs anteriorly and contribute to the elasticity of the thoracic cage.
The pulmonary ligament is a fold of pleura located below the root of the lung.
Tracheal rings are rings of cartilage that support the trachea.
Peritracheal fascia is a layer of connective tissue that invests the trachea from the outside and is not visible on bronchoscopy. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Basic Sciences
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Question 13
Correct
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Which type of thyroid tumour represents 75 - 80% of thyroid cancer cases? This type is predominant in children and in patients who have had a previous history of head or neck radiation.
Your Answer: Papillary carcinoma
Explanation:Papillary thyroid carcinoma is the most common thyroid cancer. This cancer has a high cure rate with 10-year survival rates for all patients with papillary thyroid cancer estimated at 80% to 90%.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 14
Correct
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Evaluation of a 60-year old gentleman, who has been a coal miner all his life and is suspected to have pulmonary fibrosis reveals the following: normal FEV1, arterial oxygen saturation 92%, alveolar ventilation 6000 ml/min at a tidal volume of 600 ml and a breathing rate of 12 breaths/min. There are also pathological changes in lung compliance and residual volume. Which of the following is most accurate about his residual volume?
Your Answer: Cannot be measured directly with a spirometer
Explanation:Residual volume is the air left in the lungs after maximal expiration is done. Thus, this is not a part of vital capacity and cannot be measured with a spirometer directly. It can be measured by the methods such as body plethysmography or inert gas dilution. Expiratory reserve volume is vital capacity minus inspiratory capacity. Resting volume of lungs is he sum of residual volume and expiratory reserve volume. Lungs recoil inward until the recoil pressure becomes zero, which corresponds to a volume significantly lower than residual volume.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 15
Correct
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Signals pass through neuromuscular junctions via the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. After release from the skeletal neuromuscular junction, acetylcholine:
Your Answer: Causes postsynaptic depolarisation
Explanation:Acetylcholine is released from the presynaptic membrane into the cleft where it binds to the ion gated channels on the post synaptic membrane, causing them to open. This results in sodium entering into the fibre and further depolarizing it, creating an action potential.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 16
Incorrect
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During a radical mastectomy for advanced breast cancer, the surgeon injured the long thoracic nerve. Which among the following muscles is likely to be affected?
Your Answer: Subscapularis
Correct Answer: Serratus anterior
Explanation:The long thoracic nerve innervates the serratus anterior muscle which holds the scapula forward and balances the rhomboids and the trapezius muscles which retract the scapula. Injury to this nerve results in a ‘winged scapula’ with a posterior protrusion.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Basic Sciences
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Question 17
Correct
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A 30-year-old male patient is undergoing an open appendicectomy. The surgeons extend the incision medially and suddenly encounter troublesome bleeding. What should be the best course of action?
Your Answer: Ligate the bleeding vessel
Explanation:Medial extension of an appendicectomy incision carries a risk of injury to the inferior epigastric artery which can bleed briskly. It is best managed by ligation.
Bleeding is a complication encountered in all branches of surgery. The decision as to how best to manage the bleed, depends upon its site, vessel, and circumstances.
1. Superficial dermal bleeding:
This will usually cease spontaneously. If not, then direct use of a monopolar or a bipolar cautery device will usually control the situation. Scalp wounds are a notable exception and bleeding from them may be brisk. In this situation, use of a mattress suture as a wound closure method will usually address the problem.2. Superficial arterial bleeding:
If the vessel can be safely identified in superficial arterial bleeding, then the easiest method is to apply a haemostatic clip and ligate the vessel.3. Major arterial bleeding:
If the vessel can be clearly identified and is accessible, then it may be possible to apply a clip and ligate the vessel. If the vessel is located in a pool of blood, then blind application of haemostatic clips is highly dangerous and may result in collateral injury. In this situation, evacuating the clot and packing the area is often safer. The pack can then be carefully removed when the required instruments are available. Some vessels may retract and bleeding may then be controlled by dissection of surrounding structures or underrunning the bleeding point.4. Major venous bleeding:
The safest initial course of action is to apply digital pressure to the bleeding point. To control the bleeding, thereafter, the surgeon will need a working suction device. Divided veins may require ligation.5. Bleeding from raw surfaces:
This may be mixed bleeding and can be troublesome. Spray diathermy and argon plasma coagulation are both useful agents. Certain topical haemostatic agents, such as surgicel, are useful in encouraging clot formation and may be used in conjunction with, or instead of, the above agents. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Principles Of Surgery-in-General
- Surgical Technique And Technology
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Question 18
Incorrect
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A 73-year-old woman goes to the doctor complaining of pain and stiffness in her shoulders and hips for 4 months, which is worst in the mornings. She has also been suffering from fatigue, weight loss and depression. There were no abnormal findings on physical examination. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate was 110 mm/hour, and serum rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibody assays were negative. Mild normochromic normocytic anaemia was also found. What is the most likely diagnosis in this case?
Your Answer: Seronegative rheumatoid arthritis
Correct Answer: Polymyalgia rheumatica
Explanation:Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) affects older adults, with an acute or subacute onset. Symptoms include severe pain and stiffness of the neck and pectoral or pelvic girdles, which is worse in the morning or after a period of inactivity and is usually bilateral. Other symptoms can include fatigue, weight loss, depression and fever. The erythrocyte sedimentation rate is usually elevated, and normochromic normocytic anaemia can occur. Other tests are usually normal in this disease.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 19
Correct
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A 22-year-old male presents with a 10-day history of right-sided abdominal pain. Prior to this, he was well. On examination, he has a low-grade fever and a palpable mass in the right iliac fossa. The rest of his abdomen is soft. An abdominal USS demonstrates matted bowel loops surrounding a thickened appendix. What is the best course of action?
Your Answer: Manage conservatively with antibiotics
Explanation:The patient mostly has an appendicular mass.
At present, the treatment of choice for uncomplicated acute appendicitis in adults continues to be surgical. The inflammation in acute appendicitis may sometimes be enclosed by the patient’s own defence mechanisms, by the formation of an inflammatory phlegmon or a circumscribed abscess. The management of these patients is controversial. An immediate appendectomy may be technically demanding. The exploration often ends up in an ileocecal resection or a right-sided hemicolectomy. Recently, the conditions for conservative management of these patients have changed due to the development of computed tomography and ultrasound, which has improved the diagnosis of enclosed inflammation and made drainage of intra-abdominal abscesses easier. New efficient antibiotics have also given new opportunities for nonsurgical treatment of complicated appendicitis. The traditional management of these patients is nonsurgical treatment followed by interval appendectomy to prevent a recurrence. The need for interval appendectomy after successful nonsurgical treatment has recently been questioned because the risk of recurrence is relatively small.
In patients with suspicion of contained appendiceal inflammation, based on a palpable mass or long duration of symptoms, the diagnosis should be confirmed by imaging techniques, especially CT scan. The patient should receive primary nonsurgical treatment with antibiotics and abscess drainage as needed. After successful nonsurgical treatment, no interval appendectomy is indicated in some cases, but the patient should be informed about the risk of recurrence especially in the presence of appendicolith. The risk of missing another underlying condition (cancer or CD) is low, but motivates a follow-up with a colon examination and/or a CT scan or US, especially in patients above the age of 40 years. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Generic Surgical Topics
- The Abdomen
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Question 20
Incorrect
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Which of the following will be affected by a lesion in the posterior column-medial lemniscus system?
Your Answer: Hearing
Correct Answer: Fine touch
Explanation:The posterior column–medial lemniscus (PCML) pathway is a sensory pathway that transmits fine touch and conscious proprioceptive information from the body to the brain. As the posterior columns are also known as dorsal columns, the pathway is also called the dorsal column–medial lemniscus system or DCML.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 21
Correct
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A 30-year-old man is undergoing surgery for a left inguinal hernia. During the operation, the sac is opened to reveal a large Meckel's diverticulum. What type of hernia is this?
Your Answer: Littre's hernia
Explanation:Hernia containing Meckel’s diverticulum is termed as Littre’s hernia.
Hernias occur when a viscus or part of it protrudes from within its normal anatomical cavity. A Littre’s hernia is an abdominal wall hernia that involves the Meckel’s diverticulum which is a congenital outpouching or bulge in the lower part of the small intestine and is a leftover of the umbilical cord.
Management of Littre’s hernia includes resection of the diverticulum followed by herniorrhaphy.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Generic Surgical Topics
- The Abdomen
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Question 22
Incorrect
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Biopsy of a neoplastic mass was performed. Histologic examination of the specimen showed spindle shaped cells with high nuclear/cytoplasm ratio on immunohisto chemical staining. These pleomorphic cells were vimentin positive, cytokeratin negative and cd45 negative. This type of neoplasm is most commonly found in which patient?
Your Answer: A 28 year old patient with obstructive jaundice and positive trousseau sign
Correct Answer: A 15-year-old boy with a mass in the left femur and lung metastases
Explanation:A histology report that describes spindle shaped cells which are vimentin positive suggests osteosarcoma and hematogenous spread to the lungs.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 23
Correct
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The mandibular nerve, which is the largest of the 3 divisions of the trigeminal nerve, exits the cranial cavity through which foramen?
Your Answer: Foramen ovale
Explanation:At the base of the skull the foramen ovale is one of the larger of the several holes that transmit nerves through the skull. The following structures pass through foramen ovale: mandibular nerve, motor root of the trigeminal nerve, accessory meningeal artery, lesser petrosal nerve, a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve, emissary vein connecting the cavernous sinus with the pterygoid plexus of veins and occasionally the anterior trunk of the middle meningeal vein.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Basic Sciences
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Question 24
Correct
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A 27-year-old woman has chronic low serum calcium levels. Which of the following conditions may be responsible for the hypocalcaemia in this patient?
Your Answer: Hypoparathyroidism
Explanation:Chronic hypocalcaemia is mostly seen in patients with hypoparathyroidism as a result of accidental removal or damage to parathyroid glands during thyroidectomy.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 25
Correct
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A 5 year old boy accidentally spills boiling water over his legs and is diagnosed with superficial partial thickness burns. Which of the following is least likely to occur?
Your Answer: Damage to sweat glands
Explanation:Superficial burns are confined in the depth of the epidermis, and all dermal appendages and nerve endings are intact. Superficial burns generally heal in 3 to 5 days with minimal intervention and do not leave significant scarring as they typically heal by re epithelialization. Therefore the sweat glands will be intact.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Emergency Medicine And Management Of Trauma
- Principles Of Surgery-in-General
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Question 26
Correct
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Which Statement is true of the brachial plexus?
Your Answer: The posterior cord continues as the axillary nerve
Explanation:The lateral cord continues as the musculocutaeous nerve.
The medial cord continues as the ulnar nerve.
The posterior cord continues as the radial nerve and the axillary nerve.
The nerve to subclavius muscle is a branch of the C6 root.
The suprascapular nerve is a branch from the upper trunk. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Basic Sciences
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Question 27
Incorrect
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The anatomical course of the phrenic nerve passes over the following muscle in the neck?
Your Answer: Middle scalene
Correct Answer: Anterior scalene
Explanation:The phrenic nerve originates in the neck between C3-C5, mostly C4 spinal root. It enters the thoracic cavity past the heart and lungs to the diaphragm. In the neck, this nerve begins at the lateral border of the anterior scalene muscle, its course then continues inferiorly on the anterior aspect of the anterior scalene muscle as it moves towards the diaphragm.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Basic Sciences
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Question 28
Correct
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What is the primary function of the Kupffer cells found in the liver?
Your Answer: Recycling of old red blood cells
Explanation:Kupffer cells found in the liver are part of the monocyte-reticular system. They are specialised macrophages and primarily function to recycle old and damaged RBCs. The RBCs are phagocytosed and the haemoglobin is broken down into haem and globin. The haem is further broken down into iron that is recycled and bilirubin that is conjugated with glucuronic acid and excreted in the bile.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 29
Correct
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A lesion involving the lateral geniculate nucleus of the thalamus is likely to affect:
Your Answer: Vision
Explanation:The lateral geniculate nucleus (LGN) of the thalamus is the primary processor of visual information in the central nervous system. The LGN receives information directly from the retina and sends projections directly to the primary visual cortex. The LGN likely helps the visual system focus its attention on the most important information.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 30
Correct
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A 39 year old woman returns from a holiday trip in Nepal and presents to her doctor with painless jaundice. On examination there is no organomegaly and she is not deeply jaundiced. What is most likely cause of her illness?
Your Answer: Hepatitis A infection
Explanation:Hepatitis A is a viral liver disease that can cause mild to severe illness. The hepatitis A virus (HAV) is transmitted through ingestion of contaminated food and water or through direct contact with an infectious person.
The risk of hepatitis A infection is associated with a lack of safe water, and poor sanitation and hygiene (such as dirty hands). Unlike hepatitis B and C, hepatitis A does not cause chronic liver disease and is rarely fatal, but it can cause debilitating symptoms and fulminant hepatitis (acute liver failure), which is often fatal.
Prodrome
In the prodrome, patients may have mild flulike symptoms of anorexia, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, malaise, low-grade fever (usually < 39.5°C), myalgia, and mild headache. Smokers often lose their taste for tobacco, like persons presenting with appendicitis. Icteric phase
In the icteric phase, dark urine appears first (bilirubinuria). Pale stool soon follows, although this is not universal. Jaundice occurs in most (70%-85%) adults with acute HAV infection; it is less likely in children and is uncommon in infants. The degree of icterus also increases with age. Abdominal pain occurs in approximately 40% of patients. Itching (pruritus), although less common than jaundice, is generally accompanied by jaundice.Arthralgias and skin rash, although also associated with acute HAV infection, are less frequent than the above symptoms. Rash more often occurs on the lower limbs and may have a vasculitic appearance.
Relapsing hepatitis A
Relapsing hepatitis A is an uncommon sequela of acute infection, is more common in elderly persons, and is characterized by a protracted course of symptoms of the disease and a relapse of symptoms and signs following apparent resolution. -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Clinical Microbiology
- Principles Of Surgery-in-General
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Question 31
Incorrect
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A 41-year-old man presents with a newly pigmented lesion on his right shin, which has been increasing in size. On examination, the lesion has regular borders and normal-appearing skin appendages.What should be the best course of action?
Your Answer: Excision with 0.5 cm margin
Correct Answer: Excision biopsy
Explanation:Lesions bearing normal dermal appendages and regular borders are likely to be benign pigmented naevi. Therefore diagnostic and not radical excision is indicated. Incision biopsy should not be done.
Melanocytic naevi are pigmented moles. Some moles are present at birth or appear within the first two years of life. These are known as congenital melanocytic naevi. Most develop during childhood and early adult life and are, consequently, called acquired melanocytic naevi. The number of moles increase up to the age of 30–40. Thereafter, the number of naevi tend to decrease. New moles appearing in adulthood need to be monitored and checked if growing or changing. Moles can be found anywhere on the skin, including on the hands and feet, genitals, eyes, and scalp.
There are three main types of acquired melanocytic naevi:
1. Junctional melanocytic naevi: flat and usually circular.
2. Compound melanocytic naevi: raised brown bumps most of which are hairy, some have a slightly warty surface.
3. Intradermal melanocytic naevi: raised and often hairy bumps, similar to compound naevi but more pale coloured (often skin-coloured). -
This question is part of the following fields:
- Generic Surgical Topics
- Skin Lesions
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Question 32
Correct
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A 30 year old welder presents to his family doctor with symptoms of chronic ear discharge and a left-sided facial nerve palsy. On examination, he has foul smelling fluid draining from his left ear and a complete left-sided facial nerve palsy. What is the most likely cause?
Your Answer: Cholesteatoma
Explanation:A cholesteatoma consists of squamous epithelium that is trapped within the skull base and that can erode and destroy important structures within the temporal bone. They often become infected and can result in chronically draining ears. Treatment almost always consists of surgical removal. The majority (98%) of people with cholesteatoma have ear discharge or conductive hearing loss or both in the affected ear.
Other more common conditions (e.g. otitis externa) may also present with these symptoms, but cholesteatoma is much more serious and should not be overlooked. If a patient presents to a doctor with ear discharge and hearing loss, the doctor should consider cholesteatoma until the disease is definitely excluded.
Other less common symptoms (all less than 15%) of cholesteatoma may include pain, balance disruption, tinnitus, earache, headaches and bleeding from the ear. There can also be facial nerve weakness. Balance symptoms in the presence of a cholesteatoma raise the possibility that the cholesteatoma is eroding the balance organs in the inner ear.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Generic Surgical Topics
- Head And Neck Surgery
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Question 33
Incorrect
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A 35 year-old man presents with high grade fever for 7 days after returning from a trip to India. He tested positive for widal test. What is the most likely organism that caused his fever?
Your Answer: Mycobacterium tuberculosis
Correct Answer: Salmonella typhi
Explanation:Typhoid fever is caused by virulent bacteria called Salmonella typhi. Salmonella typhi spread through contaminated food or water and occasionally through direct contact with someone who is infected.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 34
Correct
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Arterial blood gas analysis of a man admitted with acute exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) showed the following: pH = 7.28, p(CO2) = 65.5 mmHg, p(O2)= 60 mmHg and standard bicarbonate = 30.5 mmol/l. This patient had:
Your Answer: Respiratory acidosis
Explanation:Acidosis with high p(CO2) and normal standard bicarbonate indicates respiratory acidosis, commonly seen in acute worsening of COPD patients. Respiratory acidosis occurs due to alveolar hypoventilation which leads to increased arterial carbon dioxide concentration (p(CO2)). This in turn decreases the HCO3 –/p(CO2) and decreases pH. In acute respiratory acidosis, the p(CO2) is raised above the upper limit of normal (over 45 mm Hg) with a low pH. However, in chronic cases, the raised p(CO2) is accompanied with a normal or near-normal pH due to renal compensation and an increased serum bicarbonate (HCO3 – > 30 mmHg).
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 35
Incorrect
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Which organs would cause pain in a patient who complains of dull pain in her pelvis, along the midline starting from the pubic bone in the front to the sacrum at the back?
Your Answer: Transverse colon, pylorus of the stomach, duodenum, pancreas
Correct Answer: Urinary bladder, uterus/cervix/vagina, rectum
Explanation:The pain could have been caused by the urinary bladder, uterus/cervix/vagina or rectum as it involves the pelvic viscera.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Basic Sciences
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Question 36
Correct
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Which of the following bones was most likely fractured following an injury in the medial side of the foot between the navicular behind and base of the first metatarsal in front?
Your Answer: First cuneiform
Explanation:The first cuneiform bone is the largest of the three cuneiforms. It is situated at the medial side of the foot, between the navicular behind and the base of the first metatarsal in front.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Anatomy
- Basic Sciences
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Question 37
Incorrect
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A 27 year old women works in a dry-cleaning shop. She was exposed to massive amounts of carbon tetrachloride on her skin as well as inhaled. Which of the following organs is most susceptible to damage?
Your Answer: Kidney
Correct Answer: Liver
Explanation:Carbon tetrachloride (CCl4) is a common agent used in the dry cleaning industry and is thought to cause the formation of free radicals. It causes rapid breakdown of the endoplasmic reticulum due to decomposition of lipids and severe liver cell injury. Within less than 30 mins, hepatic protein synthesis declines, lipid export is reduced due to lack of apoprotein and there is an influx of calcium and cell death.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Pathology
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Question 38
Incorrect
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A 33 year old African woman presents with complaints of continuous dribbling of urine after the birth of her second child. The woman denies any complications associated with her pregnancies except for prolonged labour. She is otherwise healthy and feels well. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
Your Answer: Pudendal neuropathy
Correct Answer: Vesicovaginal fistula
Explanation:Vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) is an abnormal opening between the bladder and the vagina that results in continuous and unremitting urinary incontinence. It is one of the most distressing complications of gynaecologic and obstetric procedures. Vesicovaginal fistulae should be suspected in patients with continuous dribbling incontinence after prolonged labour.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Generic Surgical Topics
- Urology
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Question 39
Incorrect
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A 55 year old lady underwent an uneventful appendicectomy. Two hours later, her arterial blood gas analysis on room revealed pH: 7.30, p(CO2): 53 mmHg and p(O2): 79 mmHg. What is the most likely cause of these findings?
Your Answer: Pulmonary embolus
Correct Answer: Alveolar hypoventilation
Explanation:In the given problem, there is respiratory acidosis due to hypercapnia from a low respiratory rate and/or volume (hypoventilation). Causes of hypoventilation include conditions impairing the central nervous system (CNS) respiratory drive, impaired neuromuscular transmission and other causes of muscular weakness (drugs and sedatives), along with obstructive, restrictive and parenchymal pulmonary disorders. Hypoventilation leads to hypoxia and hypercapnia reduces the arterial pH. Severe acidosis leads to pulmonary arteriolar vasoconstriction, systemic vascular dilatation, reduced myocardial contractility, hyperkalaemia, hypotension and cardiac irritability resulting in arrhythmias. Raised carbon dioxide concentration also causes cerebral vasodilatation and raised intracranial pressure. Over time, buffering and renal compensation occurs. However, this might not be seen in acute scenarios where the rise in p(CO2) occurs rapidly.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Basic Sciences
- Physiology
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Question 40
Correct
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A 23-year-old male presents with a persistent and unwanted erection that has been present for the previous 7 hours. On examination, the penis is rigid and tender. Aspiration of blood from the corpus cavernosa shows dark blood. Which of the following is the most appropriate initial management?
Your Answer: Aspirate further blood from the corpus cavernosa in an attempt to decompress
Explanation:Priapism is defined as a prolonged penile erection lasting for >4 h in the absence of sexual stimulation and remains despite orgasm.
The classification of priapism is conventionally divided into three main groups. The commonest classification is into non‐ischaemic (high flow), ischaemic (low flow), and stuttering (recurrent) subtypes.
The EAU guidelines refer to the subtypes as ischaemic (low flow, veno‐occlusive) and arterial (high flow, non‐ischaemic). Of these, ischaemic priapism is the commonest, with refractory cases at risk of smooth muscle necrosis in the corpus cavernosum leading to sequelae of corporal fibrosis and erectile dysfunction (ED).
One of the key considerations in the management of priapism is the duration of the erection at presentation.
The EAU guidelines do differentiate the periods such that the intervention varies accordingly, which is particularly important for prolonged episodes that are refractory to pharmacological interventions and allow a step‐wise intervention.Ischaemic priapism is a medical emergency as the progressive ischaemia within the cavernosal tissue is associated with time‐dependent changes in the corporal metabolic environment, which eventually leads to smooth muscle necrosis. As the duration of the penile erection becomes pathologically prolonged, as in the case of low‐flow priapism, the partial pressure of oxygen (pO2) progressively falls as the closed compartment prevents replenishment of stagnant blood with freshly oxygenated arterial blood.
Investigations using corporal blood aspiration, that in itself can be a therapeutic intervention leading to partial or complete penile detumescence, helps to differentiate ischaemic from non‐ischaemic priapism subtypes based on the pO2, pCO2 and pH levels. The AUA guidelines state that typically the blood gas analysis would give a pO2 of <30 mmHg and pCO2 of >60 mmHg and a pH of <7.25 in ischaemic priapism, whereas non‐ischaemic blood gas analysis would show values similar to venous blood. Once the diagnosis of priapism has been made, the initial management involves corporal blood aspiration followed by instillation of α‐agonists directly into the corpus cavernosum.
The EAU guidelines recommend several possible agents for intracavernosal injection, as well as oral terbutaline after intracavernosal injection.
Phenylephrine – 200 μg every 3–5 min to a maximum of 1 mg within 1 h.
Etilephrine – 2.5 mg diluted in 1–2 mL saline.
Adrenaline – 2 mL of 1/100 000 solution given up to 5 times in a 20‐min period.
Methylene blue – 50–100 mg intracavernosal injection followed by aspiration and compression.Shunt surgery allows diversion of blood from the corpus cavernosum into another area such as the corpus spongiosum (glans or urethra) or the venous system (saphenous vein). Both the EAU and AUA guidelines recommend surgical intervention using firstly distal shunts and then proximal shunts in cases where aspiration and instillation of pharmacological agents fails to achieve penile detumescence. The EAU guidelines recommend that distal shunts should be attempted before proximal shunts, although the specific technique is left to the individual surgeon’s preference. The EAU guidelines also define a time point (36 h) when shunt surgery is likely to be ineffective in maintaining long‐term erectile function and may serve to reduce pain only. This is an important consideration when contemplating early penile prosthesis placement.
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This question is part of the following fields:
- Generic Surgical Topics
- Urology
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SESSION STATS - PERFORMANCE PER SPECIALTY
