Practice Questions Flashcards
A 19 y/o woman complains of numbness of the nasopharynx after surgical removal of the adenoid. A lesion of which of the following nerves would be expected?
A. Maxillary n. B. Superior cervical ganglion C. External laryngeal n. D. Glossopharyngeal n. E. Vagus n.
D. Glossopharyngeal n.
A 45 y/o woman is suffering from numbness over the tip of her nose. Which of the following nerves is most likely damaged?
A. Ophthalmic division of the trigeminal n.
B. Maxillary division of the trigeminal n.
C. Mandibular division of the trigeminal n.
D. Facial n.
E. Auriculotemporal n.
A. Ophthalmic division of the trigeminal n.
A 26 y/o singer visits her ENT and complains of changes in her voice. A laryngoscopic exam demonstrates a lesion of the superior laryngeal n., causing weakness of which of the following muscles?
A. Inferior pharyngeal constrictor B. Middle pharyngeal constrictor C. Superior pharyngeal constrictor D. Thyroarytenoid E. Thyrohyoid
A. Inferior pharyngeal constrictor
A 39 y/o woman presents to your clinic with complaints of headache and dizziness. She has an infection of a cranial dural sinus. The sinus that lies in the margin of the tentorium cerebelli and runs from the posterior end of the cavernous sinus to the transverse sinus is infected. Which of the following sinuses is affected by inflammation?
A. Straight sinus B. Inferior sagittal sinus C. Sphenoparietal sinus D. Superior petrosal sinus E. Cavernous sinus
D. Superior petrosal sinus
A 27 y/o paratrooper lands on a pine tree. Consequently, preganglionic parasympathetic nerves leaving the central nervous system are lacerated. Which of the following structures contain cell bodies of the damaged nerve fibers?
A. Cervical and sacral spinal cord B. Cervical and thoracic spinal cord C. Brainstem and cervical spinal cord D. Thoracic and lumbar spinal cord E. Brain stem and sacral spinal cord
E. Brainstem and sacral spinal cord
Following radical resection of a primary tongue tumor, a 72 y/o pt has lost general sensation on the anterior 2/3 of the tongue. This is probably due to injury to branches of which of the following nerves?
A. Trigeminal n. B. Facial n. C. Glossopharyngeal n. D. Vagus n. E. Hypoglossal n.
A. Trigeminal n.
During a carotid endarterectomy of a 57 y/o man who suffered a stroke, the carotid sinus is damaged. A third-year med student notices that the injured structure:
A. Is located at the origin of the external carotid a.
B. Is innervated by the facial n.
C. Functions as a chemoreceptor
D. Is stimulated by changes in blood pressure
E. Communicates freely with the cavernous sinus
D. Is stimulated by changes in blood pressure
A 37 y/o man feels a little discomfort when moving his tongue, pharynx, and larynx. Physical examination indicates that the muscles attached to the styloid process are paralyzed. Which of the following groups of cranial nerves are damaged?
A. Facial, glossopharyngeal, and hypoglossal nn
B. Hypoglossal, vagus, and facial nn
C. Glossopharyngeal, trigeminal, and vagus nn
D. Vagus, spinal accessory, and hypoglossal nn
E. Facial, glossopharyngeal, and vagus nn
A. Facial, glossopharyngeal, and hypoglossal nn
A young boy with a tooth abscess from a longstanding infection suffers damage of the lingual n. as it enters the oral cavity. Which of the following structures contain cell bodies of injured nerve fibers?
A. Geniculate and otic ganglia B. Trigeminal and submandibular ganglia C. Trigeminal and dorsal root ganglia D. Geniculate and trigeminal ganglia E. Geniculate and pterygopalatine ganglia
D. Geniculate and trigeminal ganglia
A 76 y/o man with swallowing difficulties undergoes imaging for a possible mass. The CT scan image at the level of the cricothyroid ligament in his neck should show which of the following structures?
A. Inferior laryngeal nn. B. External carotid aa. C. Inferior thyroid vv. D. Thyrocervical trunks E. Internal laryngeal nn.
A. Inferior laryngeal nn.
A knife wound has severed the oculomotor n. in a 45 y/o man. Which of the following conditions will occur because of this injury?
A. Constricted pupil B. Abduction of the eyeball C. Complete ptosis D. Impaired lacrimal secretion E. Paralysis of the ciliary m.
E. Paralysis of the ciliary m.
During surgery for a malignant parotid tumor in a 69 y/o woman, the main trunk of the facial n. is lacerated. Which of the following muscles is paralyzed?
A. Masseter m. B. Stylopharyngeus m. C. Anterior belly of the digastric m. D. Buccinator m. E. Tensor tympani m.
D. Buccinator m.
The first step in rhodopsin signal desensitization is the phosphorylation of C-terminal serine and threonine residues, followed by interaction with the protein arrestin. Which of the following is true in regards to rhodopsin and vision?
A. Rhodopsin phoshpatase increases the degree of rhodopsin phosphorylation
B. Arrestin binds to phosphorylated opsin to inhibit signaling
C. Rhodopsin activation promotes the opening of a cGMP-gated ion channel
D. Phosphorylation of rhodopsin promotes the interaction with its G protein transducin (Gt)
B. Arrestin binds to phosphorylated opsin to inhibit signaling
A 20 y/o guard at the gate of the royal king’s palace blinks his eyes when a strong wind hits the cornea of his eye. The afferent fibers of the corneal reflex arc are carried by which of the following nerves?
A. Optic n. B. Lacrimal n. C. Nasociliary n. D. Zygomatic n. E. Oculomotor n.
C. Nasociliary n.
A 37 y/o man receives a direct blow to the head and is brought to the ED. His radiograph shows fracture of the floor of the middle cranial cavity, causing severance of the greater petrosal n. Which of the following conditions could be produced by this injury?
A. Increased lacrimal gland secretion B. Loss of taste in epiglottis C. Dryness in the nose and palate D. Decreased parotid gland secretion E. Loss of sensation in the pharynx
C. Dryness in the nose and palate
[the greater petrosal n. carries preganglionic parasympathetics which are secretomotor fibers to the lacrimal glands and mucous glands in the nasal cavity and palate]
A 71 y/o man suffers from a known benign tumor in the pterygoid canal. Which of the following nerve fibers could be injured by this condition?
A. Postganglionic parasympathetic fibers B. Taste fibers from the epiglottis C. General somatic afferent fibers D. Preganglionic sympathetic fibers E. General visceral afferent fibers
E. General visceral afferent fibers
A 65 y/o man with multiple vision problems comes to a local eye clinic. The pupillary light reflex can be eliminated by cutting which of the following nerves?
A. Short ciliary, ophthalmic, and oculomotor nn.
B. Long ciliary, optic, and short ciliary nn.
C. Oculomotor, short ciliary, and optic nn.
D. Optic and long ciliary nn. and ciliary ganglion
E. Ophthalmic and optic nn. and ciliary ganglion
C. Oculomotor, short ciliary, and optic nn.
A 22 y/o pt has dryness of the corneal surface of his eye because of a lack of tears. Which of the following nerves may be damaged?
A. Proximal portion of the lacrimal n. B. Zygomatic branch of the facial n. C. Lesser petrosal n. D. Greater petrosal n. E. Deep petrosal n.
D. Greater petrosal n.
A 12 y/o boy has difficulty in breathing because he is choking on food. A school nurse performs the valsalva maneuver to expel air from his lungs and thus dislodge the food. When that fails, she performs a needle cricothyrotomy, which would open into which of the following regions?
A. Rima glottidis B. Laryngeal vestibule C. Laryngeal ventricle D. Infraglottic cavity E. Piriform recess
D. Infraglottic cavity
A 2 y/o boy presents with midfacial and mandibular hypoplasia, cleft palate, deformed external ear, and defect in hearing. Which of the following embryonic structures is most likely developed abnormally?
A. First pharyngeal arch B. Second pharyngeal arch C. Third pharyngeal arch D. Fourth pharyngeal arch E. Sixth pharyngeal arch
A. First pharyngeal arch
A 64 y/o woman is unable to open her mouth or jaw because of tetanus resulting from a penetrating wound from a rusty nail. Which of the following muscles would most likely be paralyzed?
A. Masseter m. B. Medial pterygoid m. C. Lateral pterygoid m. D. Buccinator m. E. Temporalis m.
C. Lateral pterygoid m.
A 46 y/o man visits the speech therapist complaining of dryness of the mouth. The therapist performs a swallowing study and, on exam, finds that the man has a lack of salivary secretion from the submandibular gland. This indicates a lesion of which of the following nervous structures?
A. Lingual nerve at its origin B. Chorda tympani in the middle ear cavity C. Superior cervical ganglion D. Lesser petrosal n. E. Auriculotemporal n.
B. Chorda tympani in the middle ear cavity
[the chorda tympani n. contains preganglionic parasympathetic fibers for secretion of submandibular gland]
A 3 y/o girl is admitted to the hospital with pain and hearing defect. An MRI reveals that she has developmental defects in the auditory tube and middle ear cavity. Which of the following pharyngeal pouches is most likely developed abnormally?
A. First pouch B. Second pouch C. Third pouch D. Fourth pouch E. Second and fourth pouches
A. First pouch