Head and Neck II Flashcards

1
Q

Afferent fibres from the carotid sinus travel via which of the following?
(Please select 1 option)
Accessory nerve. IncorrectIncorrect answer selected
Cervical sympathetics
Glossopharyngeal nerve. This is the correct answerThis is the correct answer
Recurrent laryngeal nerve.
Vagus nerve

A

The sinu-carotid nerve (a branch of the glossopharyngeal nerve) supplies the carotid sinus and carotid body.

The fibres pass centrally to the vasomotor centre.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

A 78-year-old woman presents with low back bone pain and lethargy. The pathologist reports a diagnosis of multiple myeloma after bone marrow biopsy.

A

Plasma cells

Bone marrow in multiple myeloma would show greater than 10% of cells being of plasma cell origin.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

A 21-year-old man presents with recent onset seizures. Following a brain biopsy a diagnosis of glioblastoma multiforme is made.

A

Astrocytes
Glioblastoma multiforme is an anaplastic, highly cellular tumour with poorly differentiated, round, or pleomorphic cells, occasional multinucleated cells, nuclear atypia, and anaplasia.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

A 16-year-old male attends casualty following an assault. He sustained a blow to the left side of his jaw during the attack.
Examination reveals lower lip numbness. An x ray demonstrates a mandibular fracture.
Which nerve has been damaged with this injury?
(Please select 1 option)
The chorda tympani nerve
The hypoglossal nerve
The inferior alveolar nerve
The lingual nerve
The posterior superior alveolar nerve

A

The inferior alveolar nerve

The inferior alveolar nerve enters the mandible through the inferior alveolar foramen to supply sensation to the lower teeth and skin of the chin and lower lip.

Fractures of the ramus of the mandible can injure the inferior alveolar nerve.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q
The stapes is derived from which embryological structure?
(Please select 1 option)
	 The first pharyngeal arch
	 The first pharyngeal pouch
	 The second pharyngeal arch
	 The second pharyngeal pouch
	 The third pharyngeal pouch
A

The second pharyngeal arch

The stapes bone is derived from the second pharyngeal arch.

The pharyngeal arches are derivatives of the embryological branchial system.

Derivatives of the second pharyngeal arch also include

Styloid
Stylohyoid ligament
Upper body and lesser horn of hyoid
Muscles of facial expression
Posterior belly of digastric, stylohyoid and stapedius.
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q
A 38-year-old man has recently undergone surgery to repair a perforated tympanic membrane. He is now complaining of an altered sense of taste.
Which nerve is responsible for this altered sensation?
(Please select 1 option)
	 The chorda tympani nerve
	 The glossopharyngeal nerve
	 The greater petrosal nerve
	 The hypoglossal nerve
	 The lesser petrosal nerve
A

The chorda tympani nerve
The chorda tympani nerve passes between the layers of the tympanic membrane and over the handle of the malleus.

It can be injured during tympanic membrane and middle ear surgery.

The chorda tympani supplies taste fibres to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q
A 74-year-old gentleman is undergoing a carotid endarterectomy for recurrent TIAs and the external carotid artery is exposed.
Which is the first branch of the external carotid artery?
(Please select 1 option)
	 The lingual artery
	 The maxillary artery
	 The occipital artery
	 The superficial temporal artery
	 The superior thyroid artery
A

The superior thyroid artery This is the correct answerThis is the correct answer
The superior thyroid artery is the first branch of the external carotid artery.

It runs inferiorly on the side of the pharynx before passing anteriorly to supply the upper pole of the thyroid gland.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

You are examining a child with a neck lump which is located within the anterior triangle of the neck.
Which of the following structures forms a boundary of the anterior triangle?
(Please select 1 option)
The anterior border of trapezius
The clavicle
The lower border of the mandible
The posterior belly of digastric
The posterior border of sternocleidomastoid

A

The lower border of the mandible

The anterior triangle is bounded by the lower border of the mandible, as well as the anterior border of sternocleidomastoid and the midline of the neck.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

A 29-year-old lady has undergone a partial thyroidectomy for thyrotoxicosis.
She has since complained of a husky voice.
Damage to which nerve has caused the change in her voice?
(Please select 1 option)
The external laryngeal nerve
The glossopharyngeal nerve
The internal laryngeal nerve
The lesser petrosal nerve
The recurrent laryngeal nerve

A

The recurrent laryngeal nerve This is the correct answerThis is the correct answer
The recurrent laryngeal nerve supplies all the intrinsic muscles of the larynx except for cricothyroid.

It is closely related to the inferior thyroid artery which must be divided during thyroid surgery and consequently the recurrent laryngeal nerve can be injured during the procedure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q
A 16-year-old girl is admitted for excision of a thyroglossal cyst which will include resection of a portion of the hyoid.
At what cervical level can the hyoid bone be identified?
(Please select 1 option)
	 C2
	 C3
	 C4
	 C5
	 C6
A

C3

The hyoid bone is at the level of C3.

The thyroid cartilage is at the level of C4 and C5.

The cricoid cartilage is at the level of C6.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q
A 42-year-old woman undergoes a thyroidectomy for a papillary carcinoma and sustains transient damage to her external laryngeal nerve.
Which muscle will be affected during this period of nerve damage?
(Please select 1 option)
	 Cricothyroid muscle
	 Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle
	 Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle
	 Thyroarytenoid muscle
	 Thyrohyoid muscle
A

Cricothyroid muscle

The external cricothyroid muscle is supplied by the external laryngeal nerve.

All of the other intrinsic muscles of the larynx are supplied by the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q
A 62-year-old woman is scheduled to undergo excision of her submandibular gland for recurrent sialadenitis.
Which of the following structures is an important medial relation to the gland?
(Please select 1 option)
	 Genioglossus muscle
	 Lateral pterygoid muscle
	 Mylohyoid muscle
	 The maxillary artery
	 The temporomandibular joint
A

The mylohyoid muscle is a close medial relation to the superficial part of the submandibular gland.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

A 53-year-old lady has recently undergone submandibular gland excision for recurrent sialadenitis.
Review on the ward round reveals that she has some drooping to one corner of her mouth.
Which nerve has been damaged during the surgery?
(Please select 1 option)
The buccal branch of the facial nerve
The cervical branch of the facial nerve
The marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve
The mental nerve
The zygomatic branch of the facial nerve

A

The marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve

The marginal mandibular branch of the facial nerve lies below the mandible for part of its course.

Therefore submandibular incisions should be made well below the mandible to avoid damage to the nerve which results in drooping of the corner of the mouth.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q
You are required to gain central venous access via the external jugular vein in a 46-year-old woman with severe acute pancreatitis.
On which structure does this vein lie?
(Please select 1 option)
	 The pretracheal fascia
	 The scalenus anterior muscle
	 The sternocleidomastoid muscle
	 The thyroid gland
	 The trapezius muscle
A

The sternocleidomastoid muscle

The external jugular vein begins in the parotid gland.

It passes obliquely across the surface of the sternocleidomastoid muscle to open into the subclavian vein.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

During a thyroid lobectomy the inferior thyroid artery is identified and its main trunk preserved to supply the parathyroids.
Of which artery is the inferior thyroid artery a branch?
(Please select 1 option)
The external carotid artery
The internal carotid artery
The internal thoracic artery
The thyrocervical trunk of the subclavian artery
The vertebral artery

A

The thyrocervical trunk of the subclavian artery

The thyrocervical trunk of the subclavian artery branches medially as the inferior thyroid artery and crosses the vertebral artery to supply the thyroid gland.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q
During a routine head and neck examination you identify an arterial pulsation on the mandible at the anterior border of the masseter muscle.
Which artery are you palpating?
(Please select 1 option)
	 The facial artery
	 The lingual artery
	 The marginal mandibular artery
	 The maxillary artery
	 The superficial temporal artery
A

Facial artery

The facial artery curls around the mandible to the face.

It continues on a tortuous course to reach the medial canthus of the eye.

17
Q

A 69-year-old male is due to have a laryngectomy and left radical neck dissection for squamous carcinoma of the larynx. Prior to the operation the surgeon explains that he will have some drooping of the left shoulder with weakness of shoulder elevation as a consequence of the surgery.
Which nerve will be sacrificed during the operation?
(Please select 1 option)
The cranial root of the accessory nerve
The great auricular nerve
The spinal root of the accessory nerve
The supraclavicular nerve
The transverse cervical nerve

A

The spinal root of the accessory nerve

The spinal root of the accessory nerve crosses the posterior triangle of the neck and is sacrificed in a radical neck dissection.

Section of the spinal root of the accessory nerve results in unilateral paralysis of the trapezius and is manifested as shoulder drooping with difficulty elevating the arm above 90 degrees.

18
Q
The internal auditory meatus pierces the surface of which of the following?
(Please select 1 option)
	 The frontal bone
	 The occipital bone
	 The sphenoid bone
	 The temporal bone
	 The zygomatic bone
A

Temporal bone

The internal auditory meatus pierces the posterior surface of the petrous part of the temporal bone in the posterior cranial fossa.

19
Q

An elderly male smoker attends clinic with a three month history of a hoarse voice.
You proceed to examine his larynx by indirect laryngoscopy and ask him to take a deep breath in so that you can assess vocal cord abduction.
Contraction of which muscle causes vocal cord abduction?
(Please select 1 option)
The cricothyroid muscle
The lateral cricoarytenoid muscle
The posterior cricoarytenoid muscle
The thyroarytenoid muscle
The transverse arytenoid muscle

A

The posterior cricoarytenoid muscle

The posterior cricoarytenoid muscle is an important muscle as it is the only muscle that abducts the vocal cords.

It extends from the back of the cricoid to the muscular process of the arytenoids and is supplied by the recurrent laryngeal nerve.

20
Q

A patient is undergoing a selective neck dissection of the posterior triangle of the neck.
Which of the following structures will be identified during the dissection?
(Please select 1 option)
The inferior belly of omohyoid
The internal carotid artery
The internal jugular vein
The upper, middle and lower branches of the brachial plexus
The vagus nerve

A

The inferior belly of omohyoid

The posterior triangle of the neck contains

The accessory nerve
Lymph nodes
The occipital artery
The inferior belly of omohyoid
The external jugular vein
Transverse cervical and suprascapular vessels and
Cutaneous branches of the cervical plexus.
The brachial plexus lies deep to the prevertebral fascia.

21
Q

You are examining a 24-year-old lady who has presented with clumsiness and paraesthesia. You test reflex elbow flexion.

A

C5/C6

Limb reflexes:

Biceps	C5/C6
Triceps	C7/C8
Supinator	C5/C6
Knee	L3/L4
Ankle	S1/S2
22
Q

You are examining an 89-year-old lady who has presented with slurred speech. You test reflex elbow extension.

A

C7/C8

Limb reflexes:

Biceps	C5/C6
Triceps	C7/C8
Supinator	C5/C6
Knee	L3/L4
Ankle	S1/S2
23
Q

A 36-year-old female undergoes a CT of the thorax which reveals an anterior mediastinal mass.

A

Thymus
Classically the mediastinum is divided into three compartments: anterior, middle and posterior. The anterior compartment is limited anteriorly by the sternum, and posteriorly by the anterior margin of the pericardium, aorta and brachiocephalic veins.

The posterior compartment is bounded anteriorly by the posterior margins of the pericardium and great vessels and posteriorly by the thoracic vertebral bodies.

24
Q

A 42-year-old male is noted to have a posterior mediastinal mass on CT scan.

A

Oesophagus
The middle compartment is defined by the margins of the anterior and posterior compartments. The anterior mediastinum is usually empty but the commonest causes of masses in this region include Thymoma/thymic cyst/goitre/lymph nodes.

Structures within the posterior mediastinum include neural structures, paravertebral masses, descending aorta and the oesophagus.

25
Q

Which of the following is true of the vertebral artery?
(Please select 1 option)
Ascends behind the anterior rami of the cervical nerves
Forms a part of the circle of Willis at the base of the brain
Is crossed posteriorly by the inferior thyroid artery
Passes laterally behind the lateral mass of the atlas
Pierces the dura mater

A

Pierces the dura mater This is the correct answerThis is the correct answer
The vertebral artery is the first branch of the subclavian artery arising from the superior surface of first part of the vessel. The vertebral artery is divided into four parts.

The first part runs superiorly between the Longus colli and the Scalenus anterior. In front lies the internal jugular and vertebral veins, and it is crossed by the inferior thyroid artery, whereas the left vertebral is crossed by the thoracic duct also.

The second part runs through the C1-C6 foramina in the transverse processes. The trunks of the cervical nerves lie anteriorly as it passes vertically to the atlas.

The third part runs in the groove on the upper surface of the posterior arch of the atlas, and enters the vertebral canal by passing beneath the posterior atlanto-occipital membrane.

The fourth part pierces the dura mater and passes medially towards the front of the medulla oblongata, it passes between the hypoglossal nerve and the anterior root of the first cervical nerve. At the lower border of the pons it unites with the contralateral vessel to form the basilar artery.

26
Q

Which of the following is true concerning the stellate ganglion?
(Please select 1 option)
Blockade of the stellate ganglion is used to provide anaesthesia for surgery to the upper limb
Chassaignac’s tubercle is the bony landmark used to locate the stellate ganglion
It is formed from a fusion of the inferior thoracic ganglion with the first lumbar ganglion
It is present in 10% of patients
The vertebral artery lies behind the stellate ganglion

A

Chassaignac’s tubercle is the bony landmark used to locate the stellate ganglion

The stellate ganglion is formed by the fusion of the inferior cervical ganglion and the first thoracic ganglion. It occurs in 80% of subjects.

Chassaignac’s tubercle is the transverse process of the sixth cervical vertebra at the level of the cricoid cartilage, and is the bony landmark used when performing a stellate ganglion block. The vertebral artery lies in front of the ganglion.

A stellate ganglion block is not used for surgical anaesthesia but may be performed for painful arm conditions which are sympathetically mediated (for example, complex regional pain syndrome type 1, herpes zoster and phantom limb pain) and to improve circulation (for example, in Raynaud’s syndrome).

27
Q

Which of the following is correct regarding the temperomandibular joint (TMJ)?
(Please select 1 option)
Has the chorda tympani as the anterior relationship
Has the tendon of the medial pterygoid muscle attached to the joint capsule and the neck of the mandible
Is a ball and socket joint
Is most stable with the teeth occluded
Is supplied by the facial nerve

A

Is most stable with the teeth occluded

The TMJ is synovial.

The articular disc divides the joint into upper and lower cavities.

The chorda tympani nerve, a branch of CN VII, is found posterior to the TMJ.

The capsule is attached in front to the tendon of the lateral pterygoid muscle and by fibrous bands to the head of the mandible. These bands ensure the disc moves forward and backward with the head of the mandible during protraction and retraction of the mandible.

The TMJ is supplied by the auriculotemporal and masseteric branches of the mandibular nerve.

Dislocation mainly occurs when the mandible is depressed.

28
Q

The parotid gland, which of the following is correct?
(Please select 1 option)
Contains the facial nerve which divides into seven branches within its glandular tissue
Contains the final bifurcation of the internal carotid artery within its glandular tissue
Is a mucous salivary gland
Is covered by a true capsule
Opens into the oral cavity via a duct at the level of the first upper molar tooth

A

Is covered by a true capsule

The gland is surrounded by a connective tissue capsule. In addition, the gland is enclosed in a dense fibrous capsule derived from the investing layer of deep cervical fascia.

The external carotid artery, having left the carotid triangle, ascends and enters the substance of the parotid gland. It opens into the oral cavity opposite the upper second molar tooth.

The facial nerve emerges from the stylomastoid foramen and enters the gland.

It passes forward superficial to the retromandibular vein the external carotid artery and divides into its five terminal branches. It is composed almost entirely of serous acini.

29
Q
Which one of the following sensations is conveyed in the anterior spinothalamic tract?
(Please select 1 option)
	 Crude touch
	 Fine touch
	 Joint position
	 Proprioception
	 Vibration
A

Crude touch

The anterior spinothalamic tract transmits crude touch while the the lateral spinothalamic tract transmits pain and temperature.

The impulses responsible for the vibrating sensation are carried in the dorsal column.

Proprioceptive information is transmitted up the spinal cord in the dorsal columns. Joint position or proprioception is transmitted up the fasciculus gracilis and cuneatus tracts in the dorsal columns.

30
Q

Which one of the following is untrue regarding the trigeminal nerve (CN V)?
(Please select 1 option)
It emerges from the brain stem as separate sensory and motor roots
It emerges from the brain stem between the pons and the medulla
It innervates all the teeth of the upper jaw
It supplies the muscles of mastication
Its ganglion lies on the apex of the petrous bone

A

It emerges from the brain stem between the pons and the medulla

The fibres in the motor root of CN V are distributed through the mandibular nerve to the muscles of mastication.

The nerve passes forward from the posterior cranial fossa to reach the apex of the petrous part of the temporal bone.

The trigeminal nerve leaves the anterior aspect of the pons.

The trigeminal nerve emerges from the pons by a small motor root and a large sensory root.

CN V is the principal general sensory nerve for the head, innervating the teeth, face, mouth, nasal cavity and dura.