Hepatobiliary Disease USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 67-year-old male with 40-year smoking history and hepatitis C cirrhosis presents for routine screening. Vital signs: BP 128/76, HR 82, RR 16, Temp 37°C, SpO2 98%. Abdominal ultrasound shows a 2.8 cm hypoechoic lesion in the right lobe; AFP elevated at 250 ng/mL. Platelet count 95,000/μL. No jaundice or encephalopathy noted. Which of the following is the most appropriate next step?
Answer choices
- ATransarterial chemoembolization
- BContrast-enhanced CT or MRI of the abdomenCorrect answer
- CRight hepatic lobectomy
- DLiver biopsy with pathologic examination
- ERepeat ultrasound in 3 months
- FPercutaneous ethanol injection of the lesion
See the full explanation
Get the correct-answer rationale, why each distractor is wrong, the underlying mechanism, and high-yield associations — plus adaptive practice that targets your weak areas — with a free MedBoardPRO account.