Chest imaging: round pneumonia: practice question

A Radiology 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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Radiology · Chest imaging: round pneumonia

Sample item

A 5-year-old child with fever and cough has a chest radiograph showing a well-defined, round 4 cm opacity in the right lower zone with no cavitation. What is the most likely diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Round pneumonia, which usually resolves with antibiotics

In young children, immature collateral ventilation lets infection spread outward in a spherical pattern, producing a round consolidation that mimics a mass. Pneumococcus is the usual cause and a follow-up film after treatment shows resolution.

Option by option

  • A. Hydatid cyst needing urgent surgery

    A hydatid cyst would be unusual with fever and acute symptoms and has a different appearance.

  • B. Pulmonary metastasis from Wilms tumour

    Metastasis is unlikely without a known primary and with an acute febrile illness.

  • C. Bronchogenic carcinoma

    Primary lung cancer is exceedingly rare at this age.

  • D. Round pneumonia, which usually resolves with antibiotics (correct)

    Correct. A febrile child with a round opacity has round pneumonia until proved otherwise.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Radiology question

What is the answer to this Radiology question?

The best answer is D, Round pneumonia, which usually resolves with antibiotics. In young children, immature collateral ventilation lets infection spread outward in a spherical pattern, producing a round consolidation that mimics a mass.

Why is "Hydatid cyst needing urgent surgery" not the answer?

A hydatid cyst would be unusual with fever and acute symptoms and has a different appearance.

Why is "Pulmonary metastasis from Wilms tumour" not the answer?

Metastasis is unlikely without a known primary and with an acute febrile illness.

Why is "Bronchogenic carcinoma" not the answer?

Primary lung cancer is exceedingly rare at this age.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Chest imaging: round pneumonia in Radiology. Pneumococcus is the usual cause and a follow-up film after treatment shows resolution.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Chest imaging: round pneumonia?

Learn signs with the image, and the disease they point to. Then use the flashcards and the other Radiology 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.