Gross Anatomy USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 36-year-old woman with a history of chronic NSAID use presents to the emergency department with acute onset epigastric pain and hemodynamic instability. Vital signs show blood pressure 92/58 mmHg, heart rate 118 bpm, and respiratory rate 22/min. Laboratory studies reveal hemoglobin 7.2 g/dL (previously 12.5 g/dL 2 weeks ago). Upper endoscopy shows a large, actively bleeding ulcer along the greater curvature of the stomach approximately 5 cm proximal to the pylorus. The ulcer has eroded completely through the gastric wall with visible arterial bleeding. Emergency surgical intervention is undertaken. Which of the following arteries is most likely responsible for the hemorrhage in this case?
Answer choices
- ALeft gastric artery
- BShort gastric arteries
- CRight gastric artery
- DLeft gastroepiploic artery
- ERight gastroepiploic arteryCorrect answer
- FSplenic artery
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