Abdominal wall: desmoid tumour: practice question

A General Surgery question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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General Surgery · Abdominal wall: desmoid tumour

Sample item

A 28-year-old woman has a firm, painless, non-tender mass within the rectus abdominis 8 months after delivery. Biopsy shows bland spindle cells infiltrating muscle without metastasis. Which condition is this tumour associated with?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Familial adenomatous polyposis (APC mutation)

Desmoid (aggressive fibromatosis) arises from musculoaponeurotic tissue, often in the anterior abdominal wall after pregnancy or surgery. It is locally infiltrative and recurs but does not metastasise. It occurs in Gardner syndrome, a variant of FAP, through APC or CTNNB1 mutation, so colonoscopy is advised.

Option by option

  • A. Lynch syndrome

    Lynch syndrome causes colorectal and endometrial cancers, not desmoids.

  • B. MEN1

    MEN1 causes parathyroid, pituitary and pancreatic tumours.

  • C. Familial adenomatous polyposis (APC mutation) (correct)

    Correct. Desmoids are strongly associated with FAP and Gardner syndrome.

  • D. Peutz-Jeghers syndrome

    Peutz-Jeghers causes hamartomatous polyps and mucocutaneous pigmentation.

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

More General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is C, Familial adenomatous polyposis (APC mutation). Desmoid (aggressive fibromatosis) arises from musculoaponeurotic tissue, often in the anterior abdominal wall after pregnancy or surgery.

Why is "Lynch syndrome" not the answer?

Lynch syndrome causes colorectal and endometrial cancers, not desmoids.

Why is "MEN1" not the answer?

MEN1 causes parathyroid, pituitary and pancreatic tumours.

Why is "Peutz-Jeghers syndrome" not the answer?

Peutz-Jeghers causes hamartomatous polyps and mucocutaneous pigmentation.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Abdominal wall: desmoid tumour in General Surgery. It is locally infiltrative and recurs but does not metastasise. It occurs in Gardner syndrome, a variant of FAP, through APC or CTNNB1 mutation, so colonoscopy is advised.

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 Abdominal wall: desmoid tumour?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.