Surgery MCQ Answer 61

Answer: a, b

Retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare condition in which fibrosis develops in the retroperitoneal space. The ureters frequently will become encompassed by the process eventually causing hydronephrosis and kidney damage. Retroperitoneal fibrosis occurs most commonly in the fifth and sixth decades with a 2:1 male-female predominance. The pathophysiology of retroperitoneal fibrosis remains to be delineated. In fully two-thirds of cases, retroperitoneal fibrosis is idiopathic, however, an autoimmune process has been suggested as a potential cause. About 12% of cases of retroperitoneal fibrosis have been associated with the use of methysergide, a serotonin agonist used for vascular and migraine headache, and in this subgroup females outnumber males 2:1.

Primary or metastatic malignancy in the retroperitoneum is found in 8% of patients with retroperitoneal fibrosis. Sarcomas are the most common primary tumors, but non-Hodgkin and Hodgkin lymphomas and ureteral cancer have also been found.

Metastases have originated from cancer of the stomach, breast, colon, carcinoid, pancreas, prostate, ovary, and cervix. The focus of tumor may be small but may induce desmoplasia that is grossly indistinguishable from benign variance of retroperitoneal fibrosis.

Category: Surgery MCQs