Organ System Pathology USMLE Step 1 Practice Question
A 38-year-old man presents with burning epigastric pain that improves shortly after meals but recurs a few hours later. He has no weight loss. Upper endoscopy shows an ulcer in the proximal duodenum. Infection with Helicobacter pylori is confirmed. Which of the following mechanisms most directly contributes to this patient's ulcer?
Answer choices
- AImpaired lower esophageal sphincter tone
- BIncreased gastric acid load reaching the duodenumCorrect answer
- CFailure of pancreatic bicarbonate secretion due to CFTR mutation
- DGranulomatous transmural inflammation of the bowel wall
- EAutoimmune destruction of gastric parietal cells
- FNSAID-induced mucosal injury via prostaglandin inhibition
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