SBA — Single Best Answer · Review
Question 429
Pathology → General
Classification
Question
SSBAQuestion Header
A postoperative patient has impaired wound healing associated with a nutritional deficiency. Collagen formation is defective because conversion of proline to hydroxyproline is impaired. Which deficiency best explains this?
Question Stem
Select the single best answer.
Options
A
Vitamin C
B
Vitamin A
C
Vitamin D
D
Vitamin K
E
Folate
Explanation
Vitamin C is required for hydroxylation of proline during collagen formation. Deficiency therefore impairs collagen synthesis and delays wound healing.
Option Validity
B) Vitamin A influences tissue repair but does not explain the specified proline-to-hydroxyproline defect.
C) Vitamin D deficiency does not produce this specific collagen hydroxylation defect.
D) Vitamin K is principally required for synthesis of several coagulation factors rather than proline hydroxylation.
E) Folate deficiency affects nucleotide synthesis and cell division but does not explain this biochemical defect.
Further Reading
Saxena R. Textbook for MRCOG-1. Chapter 5: Pathology. General Pathology, pp.161–175.