NLE Gastroenterology MCQs: Practice Questions With Explanations

Sample NLE (NRE) MCQs from Gastroenterology — a 121-question subject in the qbank with no dedicated practice post yet — covering GI bleeding, hepatobiliary disease, and inflammatory bowel disease, each with the correct answer explained.

Gastroenterology is a 121-question subject in HighYield's NLE (NRE) question bank — one of the larger clinical-medicine subtopics — without its own dedicated practice post yet. Below is a sample set in the same clinical-vignette style tested on the NRE theory paper, grouped by theme.

Upper GI Bleeding

1. A 55-year-old on long-term NSAID use presents with epigastric pain and coffee-ground vomiting. The most likely cause of his upper GI bleed is:

A) Esophageal varices
B) Peptic ulcer disease ✅
C) Mallory-Weiss tear
D) Gastric carcinoma

2. A patient with known cirrhosis presents with sudden massive hematemesis and hypotension. The most likely source of bleeding is:

A) Duodenal ulcer
B) Esophageal varices ✅
C) Gastritis
D) Colonic diverticulum

Hepatobiliary Disease

3. A patient presents with fever, right upper quadrant pain, and jaundice. This combination (Charcot's triad) is classic for:

A) Acute pancreatitis
B) Acute cholecystitis
C) Ascending cholangitis ✅
D) Viral hepatitis

4. A patient has painless jaundice with a palpable, non-tender gallbladder. This finding (Courvoisier's sign) most strongly suggests:

A) Gallstone obstruction of the common bile duct
B) Carcinoma of the head of the pancreas ✅
C) Acute cholecystitis
D) Acute hepatitis

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

5. A patient has continuous mucosal inflammation starting at the rectum and extending proximally, with bloody diarrhea. This pattern is most consistent with:

A) Crohn's disease
B) Ulcerative colitis ✅
C) Irritable bowel syndrome
D) Ischemic colitis

6. Skip lesions, transmural inflammation, and a tendency toward fistula formation anywhere from mouth to anus are characteristic of:

A) Ulcerative colitis
B) Crohn's disease ✅
C) Diverticulitis
D) Celiac disease

Esophageal & Peptic Disorders

7. Severe chest and epigastric pain immediately following forceful, repeated vomiting raises concern for:

A) Mallory-Weiss tear
B) Boerhaave syndrome (esophageal rupture) ✅
C) GERD
D) Achalasia

8. Multiple recurrent peptic ulcers refractory to standard therapy, with markedly elevated gastrin, suggest:

A) H. pylori infection alone
B) Zollinger-Ellison syndrome ✅
C) NSAID-induced gastritis
D) Atrophic gastritis

Why Gastroenterology Deserves Dedicated Practice

Gastroenterology questions on the NLE theory paper reward pattern recognition — matching a cluster of history and exam findings to a specific diagnosis — over isolated recall. Candidates who concentrate only on the highest-weighted disciplines (Medicine and Surgery generally) often leave easy, classic-presentation marks like these on the table.

Prepare with HighYield

HighYield's NLE question bank covers Gastroenterology alongside every discipline on the theory paper, including a dedicated Gastroenterology subject bank, with every question explained. Start with your first 20 questions free, no sign-in required.

Continue your clinical-sciences practice with our NLE Pathology MCQs.