Practice targeted AMC-style multiple-choice questions on gastroenterology.
A 45-year-old male presents with intermittent abdominal pain and melena. The provided image was obtained. What is the most likely underlying cause?
A 62-year-old male with a history of hepatitis C presents with new onset jaundice and ascites. His AFP is markedly elevated. A contrast-enhanced ultrasound is performed, as shown. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 38-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a 2-day history of intermittent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. He reports passing dark, tarry stools. He has a known history of multiple cutaneous hemangiomas since childhood. On examination, his abdomen is distended and tender to palpation, particularly in the periumbilical region. Bowel sounds are hyperactive. Vitals are: HR 110 bpm, BP 100/60 mmHg, RR 20 breaths/min, SpO2 97% on room air, Temp 37.2°C. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is performed, and a representative image is shown. Given the clinical presentation and imaging findings, what is the MOST appropriate initial management strategy?
A 72-year-old male presents with increasing dyspnea. He has a history of GORD. The provided image was taken. What is the most appropriate next step?
A 35-year-old male with a history of multiple cutaneous vascular lesions presents with recurrent episodes of crampy abdominal pain and melena over the past month. His vital signs are stable. An abdominal CT scan is performed. Considering the clinical presentation and the findings demonstrated in the provided image, what is the most likely underlying pathology responsible for the patient's symptoms and the observed bowel findings?
A 72-year-old woman presents with a long history of heartburn, regurgitation, and recently developed a chronic cough, particularly at night. Physical examination is unremarkable. A chest radiograph is obtained. Considering the radiographic findings in the context of the patient's presentation, what is the most likely pathophysiological mechanism contributing to her chronic cough?
A 45-year-old male with a known history of Blue Rubber Bleb Naevus Syndrome, characterised by recurrent gastrointestinal bleeding and multiple cutaneous vascular lesions, presents to the emergency department with acute onset severe, colicky abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. On examination, his abdomen is distended and diffusely tender with reduced bowel sounds. Vital signs are within normal limits. An urgent abdominal CT scan is performed. Based on the clinical presentation and the findings demonstrated in the image, what is the most appropriate immediate next step in management?
A 62-year-old male with a history of chronic hepatitis C presents to his general practitioner for a routine check-up. He reports no new symptoms. His liver function tests from 6 months ago were within normal limits. However, recent blood work reveals an elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level of 600 ng/mL (normal <10 ng/mL). The GP orders a contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the liver, the images from which are shown. Based on the ultrasound findings and the patient's history, what is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 68-year-old male presents with fatigue, weight loss, and vague abdominal discomfort. His past medical history includes a recent diagnosis of gastric mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC). The provided image was obtained as part of his staging workup. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 55-year-old woman presents with 2 days of worsening right upper quadrant pain radiating to her back, nausea, and subjective fever. On examination, she is tender in the RUQ. Vitals are stable. Labs show WCC 15.0, CRP 120. This image is obtained. Based on the clinical presentation and imaging findings, what is the most appropriate next step in management?
A 65-year-old male with new onset ascites and elevated ALP has the imaging shown. What is the MOST likely primary malignancy?
A 75-year-old presents with a 4-month history of increasing dysphagia to solids, occasional regurgitation, and chronic cough, particularly at night. He denies significant weight loss or chest pain. Past medical history includes type 2 diabetes and hypertension. Medications are metformin and perindopril. Physical examination is unremarkable. A chest X-ray is performed as part of the initial assessment. Considering the clinical presentation and the radiographic findings, which of the following investigations is most appropriate at this stage?
A 68-year-old woman presents to the emergency department with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, fever, and jaundice. Her vital signs are: temperature 38.5°C, heart rate 110 bpm, blood pressure 110/70 mmHg, respiratory rate 20 breaths per minute, and oxygen saturation 97% on room air. Initial laboratory investigations reveal: white blood cell count 14,000/µL, total bilirubin 6.0 mg/dL, alkaline phosphatase 450 U/L, ALT 300 U/L, and AST 250 U/L. An ERCP is performed, and the image is obtained. Following successful intervention, what is the MOST appropriate next step in managing this patient's condition?
A 63-year-old man presents with increasing postprandial fullness. The provided image was obtained. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 63-year-old woman with a 20-year history of Crohn's disease presents with worsening abdominal pain, bloating, and occasional post-prandial vomiting. She is currently managed with mesalazine and budesonide. Physical examination reveals mild right lower quadrant tenderness. Laboratory tests show a slightly elevated CRP. Given her presentation and the provided imaging, what is the most appropriate next step in her management?
A 35-year-old male with a history of multiple cutaneous vascular lesions presents with recurrent episodes of crampy abdominal pain and melena over the past month. His vital signs are stable. An abdominal CT scan is performed. Considering the clinical presentation and the findings demonstrated in the provided image, what is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?
A 72-year-old man with a history of cholelithiasis presents with a 2-day history of fever, jaundice, and severe right upper quadrant pain. His vital signs are stable, but laboratory tests show elevated bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase. He is undergoing urgent ERCP for management of suspected choledocholithiasis and cholangitis. Following successful cannulation and injection of contrast, the image is obtained. Considering the findings demonstrated in the image in the context of this patient's presentation, what is the most appropriate immediate next step during this procedure?
A 64-year-old woman presents for a routine health check. She reports intermittent episodes of colicky abdominal pain over the past year, which have resolved spontaneously. She denies any current pain, jaundice, fever, or changes in bowel habits. Her physical examination is unremarkable, with a soft, non-tender abdomen. Liver function tests are within normal limits. An abdominal ultrasound, as shown, was performed. Given the clinical context and the ultrasound findings, what is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 68-year-old male presents with a 2-day history of worsening left lower quadrant abdominal pain, fever (38.5°C), and nausea. He has a history of similar, milder pain episodes. Examination reveals left iliac fossa tenderness with guarding. Bloods show WCC 16, CRP 120. A CT scan is performed (image provided). Considering the clinical picture and the imaging findings, which of the following represents the most appropriate initial management strategy?
A 58-year-old male presents with fatigue and microcytic anemia. He denies overt bleeding but reports occasional dark stools. Colonoscopy reveals the image shown. Biopsies confirm adenocarcinoma. What is the MOST appropriate next investigation to stage the cancer?
A 64-year-old woman presents with a history of intermittent RUQ pain. She denies jaundice or fever. An abdominal ultrasound was performed, as shown. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 63-year-old woman with a 20-year history of Crohn's disease presents with a one-month history of worsening colicky abdominal pain, bloating, and occasional non-bilious vomiting, associated with a 3kg weight loss. She reports reduced stool frequency. She is currently managed with mesalazine and azathioprine. Her vital signs are stable (BP 120/75, HR 82, Temp 36.8), and physical examination reveals mild right lower quadrant tenderness without guarding or rebound. Bowel sounds are hyperactive. Imaging is performed. Considering the clinical presentation, her current therapy, and the findings suggested by the provided images, which of the following represents the most appropriate next step in this patient's management?
A 65-year-old man presents with 2 days of left lower quadrant abdominal pain, fever, and nausea. On examination, he is afebrile, haemodynamically stable, with localised tenderness in the LLQ. Blood tests show a WCC of 14.5. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is performed. Considering the clinical presentation and the findings demonstrated in the image, what is the most appropriate initial management plan?
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 72-year-old male presents to his general practitioner with a 3-month history of progressively worsening constipation alternating with episodes of loose stools, associated with occasional bright red blood per rectum and an unintentional weight loss of 4 kilograms over the same period. He denies any significant past medical history or family history of bowel disease. His vital signs are stable, and physical examination, including abdominal palpation and digital rectal examination, is unremarkable. Routine blood investigations reveal a haemoglobin of 105 g/L with a mean corpuscular volume of 78 fL, and normal inflammatory markers. Given the clinical presentation, a colonoscopy is performed. The image provided is a representative view obtained during this procedure. Based on the findings demonstrated in the image, what is the most appropriate immediate next step in the management of this patient?
A 62-year-old male presents to the emergency department with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, weight loss, and jaundice. He has a known history of chronic hepatitis C infection. His vital signs are stable. Physical examination reveals hepatomegaly and mild ascites. The patient denies any alcohol consumption. Laboratory investigations reveal elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. A CT scan of the abdomen with and without contrast is performed, as shown. Based on the imaging and clinical findings, what is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 45-year-old male presents with intermittent abdominal pain and melena. He has multiple cutaneous hemangiomas. The provided image was obtained. What is the MOST likely underlying cause of the patient's presentation?
A 32-year-old male presents to the emergency department complaining of intermittent abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting for the past 24 hours. He reports passing a small amount of blood in his stool this morning. He denies any fever or chills. His past medical history is significant for multiple cutaneous hemangiomas, which he has had since childhood. On physical examination, his abdomen is mildly distended and tender to palpation in the periumbilical region. Bowel sounds are hyperactive. The patient is hemodynamically stable. A CT scan of the abdomen is performed, the results of which are shown. Given the clinical presentation and imaging findings, what is the MOST appropriate next step in the management of this patient?
A 72-year-old male presents with fever, jaundice, and right upper quadrant pain. Investigations confirm acute cholangitis secondary to choledocholithiasis. He is taken for urgent ERCP. Following successful cannulation of the common bile duct and injection of contrast, the image is captured. Considering the findings visualised in the image, which of the following interventions is the most appropriate immediate next step to enable successful management of the underlying pathology during this procedure?
A 32-year-old male with a history of Crohn's disease presents with worsening abdominal pain, diarrhea, and a low-grade fever. He reports that his symptoms have been progressively worsening over the past few weeks despite being compliant with his prescribed mesalamine. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is performed, as shown. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 65-year-old male presents with fatigue and occult blood in stool. Colonoscopy reveals the lesion shown. Biopsy confirms adenocarcinoma. What is the MOST appropriate next investigation to determine disease stage?
A 45-year-old man presents to the clinic with a 3-month history of progressive difficulty swallowing both solids and liquids. He also reports regurgitation of undigested food and occasional chest pain. He has lost 5 kg over this period. On examination, there are no abnormalities noted. A barium swallow study shows a 'bird-beak' appearance of the lower esophagus. What is the most likely diagnosis?
A 62-year-old woman presents with right upper quadrant pain, fever, and leukocytosis. An abdominal CT scan is performed, as shown. She has a history of similar episodes that resolved spontaneously. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 58-year-old male presents with acute onset LLQ pain, low-grade fever, and mild nausea. His vitals are stable. An abdominal CT scan was performed, the axial view is shown. What is the MOST appropriate initial management strategy?
A 63-year-old man presents to the ED with increasing shortness of breath and epigastric discomfort, particularly after meals. He has a history of GERD managed with occasional antacids. Physical examination reveals decreased breath sounds at the left lung base. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is performed, the axial view is shown. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 48-year-old man with multiple cutaneous hemangiomas presents with crampy abdominal pain and guaiac-positive stools. The provided image was obtained. What is the MOST appropriate initial diagnostic test to identify the source of bleeding?
A 32-year-old male presents to his general practitioner complaining of severe anal pain, especially during and after bowel movements. He also reports seeing bright red blood on the toilet paper. On examination, there is a visible tear in the anal mucosa at the 6 o'clock position. Which of the following is the MOST appropriate initial management strategy?
A 58-year-old male with a 15-year history of chronic hepatitis B infection and established cirrhosis presents for a routine surveillance appointment. He reports feeling generally well, with no significant weight loss, abdominal pain, or jaundice. He denies alcohol use. On examination, his vital signs are stable. He has mild palmar erythema but no ascites or peripheral oedema. Liver span is normal. Recent blood tests show platelet count 120 x 10^9/L, albumin 35 g/L, INR 1.2, total bilirubin 20 µmol/L, ALT 40 U/L, AST 55 U/L, creatinine 80 µmol/L. Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) has risen from 50 µg/L six months ago to 450 µg/L today. A triphasic CT scan of the abdomen was performed as part of the surveillance protocol, axial views of which are provided. Considering the patient's clinical history, laboratory trends, and the findings demonstrated on the provided imaging, which of the following represents the MOST appropriate immediate next step in the management of this patient?
A 68-year-old patient presents with chronic intermittent upper abdominal discomfort, postprandial fullness, and occasional regurgitation. Physical examination is unremarkable. A chest radiograph is performed as part of the workup. Considering the radiographic findings in the context of the patient's presentation, what is the most appropriate next step in management?
A 45-year-old woman presents to her general practitioner with a 6-month history of intermittent diarrhea, abdominal pain, and weight loss. She reports that her symptoms are exacerbated by stress and certain foods, particularly those containing gluten. She has a family history of autoimmune thyroid disease. On examination, she appears pale and has a slightly distended abdomen with mild tenderness in the lower quadrants. Laboratory tests reveal microcytic anemia and elevated tissue transglutaminase antibodies. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step in the management of this patient?
A 58-year-old male presents with fatigue and iron deficiency anemia. Colonoscopy reveals the image shown. Biopsies are taken. Assuming pathology confirms malignancy, what is the MOST appropriate next investigation to determine disease stage?
A 75-year-old female presents to the emergency department with a 24-hour history of worsening colicky abdominal pain, nausea, and multiple episodes of bilious vomiting. She reports no passage of flatus or stool for the past 18 hours. Her past medical history includes an open appendectomy 30 years ago and a hysterectomy 10 years ago. On examination, she is afebrile, heart rate 92 bpm, blood pressure 130/80 mmHg, respiratory rate 18/min, oxygen saturation 98% on room air. Her abdomen is distended and diffusely tender to palpation, with high-pitched tinkling bowel sounds on auscultation. A plain abdominal X-ray series, including the image provided, was obtained. Given the clinical presentation and the findings demonstrated in the provided image, which of the following is the most appropriate *next* investigation to guide definitive management?
A 32-year-old male with a 10-year history of Crohn's disease presents with worsening abdominal pain and diarrhea despite being on maintenance infliximab. He denies fever or blood in his stool. Physical exam reveals mild tenderness in the right lower quadrant. The provided imaging was obtained. What is the MOST appropriate next step in management?
A 55-year-old male presents to the emergency department with a 2-day history of left lower quadrant abdominal pain, associated with subjective fever and chills. He denies nausea, vomiting, or change in bowel habits. On examination, he is afebrile, heart rate 85 bpm, blood pressure 130/80 mmHg. Abdominal examination reveals tenderness in the left iliac fossa without guarding or rebound. White cell count is 14 x 10^9/L, CRP 80 mg/L. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is performed, the relevant axial image is shown. Considering the patient's presentation and the findings on the provided image, which of the following represents the most appropriate initial management strategy?
A 68-year-old male presents to the ED with left lower quadrant abdominal pain, fever, and leukocytosis. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis is performed. Based on the image, what is the most appropriate next step in management?
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 32-year-old male with Crohn's disease presents with increased abdominal pain and diarrhea. Review the imaging. What is the MOST appropriate next step?
A 3-month-old baby presents with abdominal swelling and constipation. A rectal biopsy shows the absence of ganglion cells. What is the most likely diagnosis?
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 68-year-old man presents to his GP with a 4-month history of increasing constipation alternating with loose stools, occasional rectal bleeding, and a feeling of incomplete evacuation. He reports fatigue but denies significant weight loss. His physical examination, including digital rectal examination, is normal. Full blood count shows a haemoglobin of 115 g/L with low ferritin. A colonoscopy is performed, and the image provided is a representative view from the procedure. Considering the clinical presentation and the finding observed during the colonoscopy, what is the most appropriate immediate next step in the management of this patient?