General Pathology USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 27-year-old woman undergoes partial hepatectomy for living-donor liver transplantation to her brother. Three weeks postoperatively, she reports right upper quadrant fullness but denies abdominal pain, fever, or jaundice. Vital signs are normal (BP 118/76, HR 78, RR 14, Temp 37.0°C). Ultrasound demonstrates restoration of resected liver mass to near-baseline volume with normal echotexture. Serum AST and ALT are mildly elevated but trending downward. Which of the following best explains this rapid hepatic restoration?
Answer choices
- AHypertrophy of hepatocytes without DNA synthesis
- BHyperplasia of stable cells stimulated to proliferate after injuryCorrect answer
- CMetaplasia of hepatocytes into bile duct epithelium
- DRegeneration by permanent cells that cannot reenter the cell cycle
- EDysplasia due to increased mitotic rate after surgery
- FReplacement of hepatic parenchyma by fibrous connective tissue and myofibroblast proliferation
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