An oncologic surgeon removes axillary lymph nodes during a breast cancer resection. Which outcome is likely to occur in the affected arm because of this lymphatic disruption?

💡 Explanation

Edema is likely because lymphatic vessels normally drain interstitial fluid; therefore, removing lymph nodes impairs lymphatic drainage, leading to fluid accumulation in the interstitial space rather than the other options, which involve different mechanisms or tissues.

• A patient with cirrhosis experiences elevated blood ammonia levels. Which mechanism explains why hyperammonemia occurs in liver failure?
• An elderly patient experiences chronic psychological stress, compounded by limited mobility. Which outcome concerning bone remodeling becomes most likely in this scenario?
• If a deep dermal wound in a patient with peripheral vascular disease develops a chronic non-healing ulcer, which consequence is the MOST likely to prolong the inflammatory phase?
• Why does chronic cytokine release contribute to heart failure during sepsis?
• A researcher studying synapse formation observes a neuron repeatedly firing, yet the postsynaptic neuron shows minimal depolarization. Which mechanism explains this phenomenon?
• If a patient has a genetic mutation causing dysfunctional fibrinogen, which consequence follows regarding clot formation following a deep wound?