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cirrhosis

Practice targeted AMC-style multiple-choice questions on cirrhosis.

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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 68-year-old male with a long history of alcohol-related cirrhosis and previous treatment for hepatitis C presents with increasing abdominal distension, fatigue, and a dull ache in the right upper quadrant. He denies acute pain or fever. On examination, he has mild jaundice, shifting dullness, and spider naevi. His vital signs are stable. Recent blood tests show albumin 28 g/L, INR 1.4, total bilirubin 45 µmol/L, ALT 65 U/L, AST 88 U/L, creatinine 90 µmol/L. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is 850 µg/L (normal <10). An abdominal CT scan with contrast is performed, axial views of which are shown. Considering the patient's clinical presentation, laboratory results, and the findings on the provided imaging, what is the MOST appropriate immediate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Proceed directly to surgical resection of the lesion.
B. Schedule a follow-up CT scan in 3 months to monitor for growth.
C. Discuss the case at a multidisciplinary liver tumour board meeting to determine staging and treatment options.
D. Initiate systemic chemotherapy with sorafenib.
E. Obtain a percutaneous biopsy of the lesion for histological confirmation.
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 70-year-old male with cirrhosis secondary to alcohol abuse presents with new-onset ascites and a palpable liver mass. His AFP is markedly elevated. A contrast-enhanced ultrasound is performed, as shown. What is the MOST appropriate next diagnostic step?

A. Quadruple-phase CT scan of the abdomen
B. Initiate systemic chemotherapy
C. Repeat ultrasound in 3 months
D. MRI of the abdomen with hepatobiliary contrast
E. Liver biopsy
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 58-year-old male with known alcoholic cirrhosis undergoes surveillance. AFP is 600 ng/mL. The provided image was obtained. What is the next step?

A. Administer systemic chemotherapy
B. Initiate sorafenib
C. Repeat AFP in 3 months
D. Liver biopsy
E. Refer for liver transplant evaluation
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 68-year-old male with known Hepatitis B related cirrhosis and a history of alcohol excess presents for routine surveillance. His alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, which has been stable at 15 ng/mL for the past two years, is now noted to be 185 ng/mL. A screening ultrasound performed three months prior was reported as showing diffuse parenchymal changes consistent with cirrhosis but no focal lesions. Due to the elevated AFP, a repeat ultrasound was performed, which identified a 2.5 cm nodule in segment VIII. To further characterise this lesion, a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed, and the images provided are representative findings from this study. The patient has well-compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A) and no significant comorbidities. His liver function tests are within normal limits except for a slightly elevated GGT. Given the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the provided images, what is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Referral to a multidisciplinary liver tumour board for consideration of curative treatment options.
B. Proceed directly to percutaneous biopsy of the lesion for histological confirmation.
C. Refer the patient to a general gastroenterologist for further investigation.
D. Initiate systemic therapy with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor such as sorafenib.
E. Schedule a repeat contrast-enhanced ultrasound in three months to assess for interval change.
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 65-year-old male with known alcoholic cirrhosis presents for routine HCC screening. His AFP is 25 ng/mL. A CT scan with IV contrast is performed (image attached). What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?

A. MRI of the abdomen with contrast
B. Repeat AFP in 3 months
C. Initiate sorafenib
D. Surgical resection
E. Referral for liver transplant evaluation
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 58-year-old male with cirrhosis secondary to alcohol abuse presents with new-onset ascites and RUQ pain. His AFP is markedly elevated. A CT abdomen with IV contrast is performed, as shown. What is the MOST appropriate next step in confirming the suspected diagnosis?

A. Initiate systemic chemotherapy
B. Referral for liver transplantation evaluation
C. Repeat CT scan in 3 months
D. MRI of the abdomen with hepatobiliary contrast
E. Liver biopsy
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 62-year-old male with cirrhosis presents for routine surveillance. His AFP is elevated at 450 ng/mL. The provided image was obtained. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?

A. Repeat AFP in 3 months
B. Initiate sorafenib therapy
C. MRI of the abdomen with contrast
D. Percutaneous liver biopsy
E. Referral for liver transplant evaluation
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 68-year-old man with known alcoholic cirrhosis presents for routine surveillance. He reports mild fatigue but no other symptoms. Liver function tests are within his baseline. Alpha-fetoprotein is 150 ng/mL (normal <10). The provided images are obtained. Considering the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the images, what is the most appropriate immediate next step in this patient's management?

A. Referral for liver transplant assessment
B. Initiate treatment with transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)
C. Percutaneous biopsy of the lesion
D. Commence systemic therapy with Sorafenib
E. Repeat imaging with MRI liver in 4 weeks
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 65-year-old man with chronic hepatitis C and compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A) presents for routine surveillance. His alpha-fetoprotein is 250 ng/mL. He feels well. The provided images are obtained. Considering the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the images, which of the following management strategies is most likely to be the initial approach for this patient?

A. Liver transplantation
B. Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
C. Palliative care
D. Systemic chemotherapy
E. Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 58-year-old male with cirrhosis secondary to alcohol abuse presents for routine surveillance. His AFP is 25 ng/mL. A contrast-enhanced ultrasound is performed, as shown. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?

A. MRI of the abdomen with contrast
B. Repeat AFP in 3 months
C. CT of the abdomen with contrast
D. Liver biopsy
E. Initiate sorafenib
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 70-year-old male with known cirrhosis secondary to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is undergoing routine surveillance. His recent surveillance ultrasound identified a new 3 cm lesion in segment VIII. His alpha-fetoprotein level is 45 ng/mL (previously normal). A contrast-enhanced ultrasound is performed, with representative images shown. Based on the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the images, what is the most appropriate immediate next step in this patient's management?

A. Initiate systemic chemotherapy with sorafenib
B. Repeat the contrast-enhanced ultrasound in 3 months
C. Referral to a multidisciplinary liver tumour board for staging and treatment planning
D. Schedule a follow-up appointment with the GP in 4 weeks
E. Perform an immediate percutaneous biopsy of the lesion
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 58-year-old male with cirrhosis presents for routine surveillance. His AFP is elevated. A CT scan with contrast is performed (image attached). What is the MOST appropriate next step to determine definitive management?

A. Percutaneous ethanol injection
B. Repeat CT scan in 3 months
C. Initiate sorafenib therapy
D. Systemic chemotherapy
E. Referral to hepatology for consideration of liver transplant
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 62-year-old male with cirrhosis secondary to alcohol abuse presents with new-onset ascites and a palpable liver mass. His AFP is 600 ng/mL. A contrast-enhanced ultrasound is performed. What is the MOST appropriate next step in confirming the diagnosis and guiding management?

A. Repeat AFP in 3 months
B. Initiate sorafenib therapy
C. Liver biopsy
D. Administer systemic chemotherapy
E. Perform a diagnostic paracentesis
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 65-year-old male with known alcoholic cirrhosis undergoes surveillance. The provided contrast-enhanced ultrasound was obtained. What is the MOST appropriate next step?

A. Repeat ultrasound in 3 months
B. Liver biopsy
C. Initiate sorafenib
D. Ablation therapy
E. Triphasic CT or MRI
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 70-year-old male with known cirrhosis secondary to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease presents for routine surveillance. He has Child-Pugh class A cirrhosis and ECOG performance status 0. His recent surveillance ultrasound showed a new 3 cm lesion in segment VIII. Serum alpha-fetoprotein is elevated at 450 ng/mL. A contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed, and representative images are shown. Considering the patient's history, clinical status, laboratory results, and the findings demonstrated in the contrast-enhanced ultrasound images, what is the MOST appropriate immediate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Referral to a multidisciplinary liver tumour board for treatment planning
B. Start systemic chemotherapy with Sorafenib
C. Repeat the contrast-enhanced ultrasound in 3 months
D. Initiate palliative care referral
E. Perform an urgent liver biopsy of the lesion
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 62-year-old male with cirrhosis presents for routine surveillance. AFP is elevated. The provided image was obtained. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?

A. Schedule a follow-up ultrasound in 6 months
B. Initiate sorafenib therapy
C. Repeat AFP in 3 months
D. Referral for liver transplant evaluation
E. Order a CT scan of the abdomen with contrast
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 65-year-old male with Hepatitis C cirrhosis is undergoing routine surveillance. A liver lesion was identified on initial ultrasound, prompting a contrast-enhanced ultrasound study. Considering the findings demonstrated in the provided images, what is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Repeat ultrasound in 3 months
B. Refer for urgent liver transplant assessment
C. Prescribe antibiotics for suspected abscess
D. Liver biopsy for histological confirmation
E. Initiate palliative care
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 58-year-old male with cirrhosis presents for routine surveillance. His AFP is 8. A contrast-enhanced ultrasound is performed, as shown. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?

A. Repeat ultrasound in 3 months
B. Start sorafenib
C. Liver biopsy
D. MRI of the abdomen with contrast
E. CT of the abdomen with contrast
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 68-year-old man with known alcoholic cirrhosis presents for routine surveillance. He reports mild fatigue. Liver function tests are within his baseline (Child-Pugh A). Alpha-fetoprotein is 150 ng/mL. The provided images are obtained. Considering the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the images, which of the following treatment modalities is most likely to be considered first for this patient?

A. Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)
B. Surgical resection
C. Palliative care
D. Systemic targeted therapy (e.g., Sorafenib)
E. Liver transplantation assessment
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 68-year-old male with known Hepatitis B related cirrhosis and a history of alcohol excess presents for routine surveillance. His alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, which has been stable at 15 ng/mL for the past two years, is now noted to be 185 ng/mL. A screening ultrasound performed three months prior was reported as showing diffuse parenchymal changes consistent with cirrhosis but no focal lesions. Due to the elevated AFP, a repeat ultrasound was performed, which identified a 2.5 cm nodule in segment VIII. To further characterise this lesion, a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed, and the images provided are representative findings from this study. The patient has well-compensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A) and no significant comorbidities. His liver function tests are within normal limits except for a slightly elevated GGT. Given the clinical context and the findings demonstrated in the provided images, what is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?

A. Referral for urgent liver transplant assessment
B. Repeat the contrast-enhanced ultrasound in 3 months to assess for interval change
C. Perform a percutaneous biopsy of the lesion for histological confirmation
D. Referral for discussion regarding locoregional therapy (e.g., ablation) or surgical resection
E. Initiate systemic therapy with sorafenib
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 65-year-old male with chronic hepatitis C cirrhosis undergoes routine surveillance imaging. He has no new symptoms. Liver function tests are stable. Alpha-fetoprotein is mildly elevated. The provided images are obtained. What is the most appropriate next step in management?

A. Referral for liver transplant assessment
B. Percutaneous biopsy of the lesion
C. Initiation of systemic therapy
D. Transarterial chemoembolisation
E. Repeat imaging in 3 months
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 65-year-old male with known cirrhosis secondary to chronic hepatitis B presents with increasing abdominal distension and fatigue. He has mild ascites. Liver function tests show bilirubin 35 umol/L, INR 1.3, albumin 30 g/L. AFP is 850 ng/mL. Imaging is performed as shown. Based on the imaging findings and clinical presentation, which of the following treatment modalities is MOST likely to be considered for this patient?

A. Initiation of systemic targeted therapy
B. Referral for liver transplantation assessment
C. Percutaneous radiofrequency ablation
D. Transarterial chemoembolisation
E. Surgical resection
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CT scan of hepatocellular carcinoma, without and with IV contrast
Image by Zhenyu Pan, Guozi Yang, Tingting Yuan, Lihua Dong, Lihua Dong CC BY 4.0 · Source

A 62-year-old male with cirrhosis presents for routine surveillance. His AFP is elevated at 450 ng/mL. The provided image was obtained. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?

A. Repeat AFP in 3 months
B. Initiate sorafenib therapy
C. Schedule a follow-up CT scan in 6 months
D. Referral for liver transplant evaluation
E. Order a liver biopsy
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 70-year-old male with known cirrhosis secondary to NAFLD is undergoing routine surveillance. A new 3 cm lesion was identified in segment VIII on ultrasound, with AFP 45. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed, with representative images shown. Based on the clinical context and the findings demonstrated, what is the most appropriate immediate next step in this patient's management?

A. Schedule repeat contrast-enhanced ultrasound in 3 months
B. Schedule for surgical resection
C. Referral to a multidisciplinary liver tumour board
D. Perform a percutaneous liver biopsy of the lesion
E. Initiate systemic therapy with sorafenib
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Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of encephaloid hepatocellular carcinoma
Image by R. Badea, Simona Ioanitescu CC BY 3.0 · Source

A 70-year-old male with cirrhosis secondary to NAFLD presents for routine surveillance. A new 3 cm lesion was found in segment VIII on ultrasound, with AFP 45. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed, with representative images shown. Considering the clinical context and the findings demonstrated, what is the most appropriate immediate next step in this patient's management?

A. Schedule repeat surveillance ultrasound in 3 months.
B. Referral to a multidisciplinary liver tumour board for staging and treatment planning.
C. Referral for immediate liver transplantation assessment.
D. Proceed directly to percutaneous biopsy of the lesion.
E. Initiate systemic therapy with a tyrosine kinase inhibitor.
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