Multiple-choice Questions in Otolaryngology

with explanatory answers

Multiple-choice Questions in
Otolaryngology
with explanatory answers

Ramindar S. Dhillon, FRCS (Eng)

James W. Fairley, FRCS (Eng)

Ferens Institute of Otolaryngology

University College and Middlesex School of Medicine, London

M
MACMILLAN
PRESS
Scientific & Medical
© R.S. Dhillon & J.W. Fairley 1989

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First published 1989

Published by
THE MACMILLAN PRESS LTD
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Typeset by
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ISBN 978-0-333-49109-6 ISBN 978-1-349-10805-3 (eBook)

DOI 10.1007/978-1-349-10805-3
CONTENTS

Foreword xii
Preface xiii

Section 1: The Ear

1 Foetal development 2
2 Development of the foetal ear 2
3 Development of the temporal bone 2
4 Development of the mastoid process 4
5 Anatomy of the external ear 4
6 In the adult 4
7 In the middle ear cleft 6
8 The anterior wall of the tympanic cavity 6
9 In the middle ear cleft 6
10 Mucosal folds, compartments and ligaments of the
middle ear cleft 8
11 The middle ear cleft 8
12 Neurovascular supply of the middle ear cleft 8
13 In the labyrinth 10
14 In the inner ear 10
15 In the cochlear nerve 10
16 In the vestibular labyrinth 10
17 The vestibular nerve 12
18 Blood supply of the labyrinth 12
19 Anatomy of the internal auditory canal 12
20 Sensory nerve supply of the ear 14
21 The following lesions may cause referred otalgia 14
22 The following neoplasms may present with otalgia 14
23 In the physical examination of the ear 16
24 Radiological investigation of the petrous temporal bone 16
25 The following procedures are usually performed via a
permeatal incision 18
26 In temporal bone surgery 18
27 Principles of temporal bone surgery 18
28 The seventh cranial nerve 20
29 Physical properties of sound 20
30 Sound transmission in the middle ear 20
31 Middle ear acoustic impedance 20
32 Abnormalities of middle ear function 22
33 Middle ear muscles 22
34 Hearing by bone conduction 22

v
vi MCQs in OTOLARYNGOLOGY

35 In the cochlea 24
36 Theories of hearing 24
37 Localization of sound stimulus 24
38 In testing the hearing 24
39 In non-organic hearing loss 26
40 Audiological investigations 26
41 Impedance audiometry 28
42 Electric response audiometry 28
43 Assessment of hearing thresholds in young children 30
44 Electronic hearing aids 30
45 Vestibular labyrinthine physiology 32
46 Vestibular function tests 32
47 Bithermal caloric test 32
48 Electronystagmography 34
49 Congenital abnormalities of the external ear 34
50 Haematoma Auris 34
51 In otitis externa 36
52 In malignant otitis externa 36
53 Viral infections of the external ear 36
54 Neoplastic disease of the external ear 38
55 In the external auditory meatus 38
56 Congenital anomalies of the middle ear cleft 38
57 Surgery of congenital ear anomalies 40
58 Surgical correction of congenital atresia of the
external auditory meatus 40
59 Traumatic perforation of the tympanic membrane 40
60 In basal skull fractures involving the petrous temporal bone 40
61 Otitic barotrauma 42
62 Acute suppurative otitis media 42
63 Acute petrositis 44
64 Complications of acute inflammation of the middle ear
cleft include 44
65 Factors in the development and behaviour of chronic
otitis media include 44
66 Tubotympanic chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM) 46
67 Pathogenesis of acquired cholesteatoma 46
68 In attica-antral CSOM 46
69 Management of chronic suppurative otitis media
with cholesteatoma 48
70 Management of cholesteatoma in children is difficult because 48
71 In an open mastoid cavity 48
72 Acute mastoiditis 48
73 Intracranial extension of suppurative otitis media 50
7 4 Complications of suppurative otitis media 50
75 Secretory otitis media (SOM) 50
76 Diagnosis and management of secretory otitis media 52
77 Late sequelae of otitis media 52
78 Tuberculous otitis media is 52
79 Malignant tumours of the middle ear cleft 54
80 Paragangliomas of the temporal bone 54
81 Osseous disorders of the temporal bone 54
 Contents vii

82 Pathology of otosclerosis 56
83 Patients with otosclerosis 56
84 Diagnosis of otosclerosis 58
85 Treatment of otosclerosis 58
86 During stapedectomy 58
87 Complications of stapedectomy 60
88 Perilymph fistulae following stapedectomy 60
89 Van der Hoeve de Kleyn syndrome 62
90 In late syphilis in the temporal bone 62
91 Congenital deafness 62
92 Temporal bone fractures 64
93 In closed head injuries without fracture 64
94 Inner ear barotrauma 64
95 Excessive sound stimulation of the ear 66
96 lnfrasound 66
97 Hearing conservation programmes in industry 66
98 Otitic blast injury 68
99 Labyrinthine window rupture 68
168 Otitic labyrinthitis 68
101 In circumscribed labyrinthitis 70
102 In syphilitic labyrinthitis 70
103 Pathophysiology of Meniere's Disease 70
104 Clinical manifestations of Meniere's disease 72
105 Cogan's disease is characterized by 72
106 Investigation of Meniere's disease 72
107 Medical management of Meniere's disease 74
108 Surgical management of Meniere's disease 74
109 Pathology of presbyacusis 74
11 0 Management of presbyacusis 76
111 The ototoxic effects of 76
112 Objective tinnitus 76
113 Subjective tinnitus 78

Section 2: The Nose and Sinuses

114 Blood supply of the nose 82
115 Nasal anatomy 82
116 Examination of the nose and sinuses 82
117 Sinus X-rays 84
118 Operations on the nose and sinuses 84
119 Antral washouts 84
120 Sinus operations 86
121 Nasal respiration 86
122 The mucociliary 'conveyor belt' of the upper respiratory tract 86
123 Anosmia 86
124 Disorders of smell 88
125 Cleft lip and cleft palate 88
126 Congenital nasal malformations 88
127 Congenital choanal atresia 88
128 Management of maxillofacial injuries 88
129 Middle third facial fractures 90
viii MCQs in OTOLARYNGOLOGY

130 Blowout fracture of the orbit 90

131 Fractures involving the frontal or ethmoidal sinuses 90
132 Cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea 90
133 Oro-antral fistula 92
134 Bullet wounds in the head and neck region 92
135 Sinus barotrauma 92
136 Nasal septal deformities 92
137 Septal haematoma 94
138 Septal abscess 94
139 Septal perforation 94
140 Foreign bodies in the nose 94
141 Rhinolith 96
142 Inflammation of the external nose 96
143 Acute infective rhinitis 96
144 Chronic non-specific rhinitis 96
145 Chronic hypertrophic rhinitis 98
146 Atrophic rhinitis 98
147 Wegener's granulomatosis 98
148 Syphilis and the nose 100
149 Nasal lupus vulgaris 100
150 Chronic specific rhinitis 100
151 Acute infective sinusitis 100
152 Acute infective sinusitis 102
153 Chronic non-specific sinusitis 102
154 Mixed infective and vasomotor chronic sinusitis 102
155 Acute maxillary sinusitis 104
156 Acute frontal sinusitis 104
157 Acute sphenoidal sinusitis 104
158 Treatment of chronic maxillary sinusitis 104
159 Treatment of chronic frontal sinusitis 106
160 Aetiology of sinusitis in children 106
161 Sinusitis in children 106
162 Spread of infection in suppurative sinusitis 108
163 Osteomyelitis of the frontal bone 108
164 Osteomyelitis of the frontal bone 108
165 Orbital complications of suppurative sinusitis 108
166 Orbital complications of suppurative sinusitis 11 0
167 Intracranial complications of suppurative sinusitis 11 0
168 Secondary effects of suppurative sinusitis 11 0
169 Transitional cell papilloma (Ringertz tumour) 112
170 Benign tumours of the paranasal sinuses 112
171 Malignant tumours of the nose and paranasal sinuses 112
172 Malignant tumours of the paranasal sinuses 114
173 Treatment of malignant tumours of the paranasal sinuses 114
174 Pituitary tumours 114
175 Maxillary cysts 116
176 Cysts of dental origin 116
177 Radiographic diagnosis of maxillary cysts 116
178 Odontogenic tumours 116
179 Causes of epistaxis 116
180 Sites of bleeding in epistaxis 118
 Contents ix

181 Initial treatment of severe epistaxis 118

182 Surgical intervention in epistaxis 118
183 Epistaxis in hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia 120
184 Vasomotor rhinitis 120
185 Clinical features of vasomotor rhinitis include 120
186 Medical treatment of vasomotor rhinitis 120
187 Surgical treatment of vasomotor rhinitis 122
188 Aetiology of allergic rhinitis 122
189 Immunology of allergic rhinitis 122
190 Pathology of allergic rhinitis 124
191 Clinical features of allergic rhinitis 124
192 Treatment of allergic rhinitis 124
193 Surgical treatment of allergic rhinitis 124
194 Pathology of nasal polyps 126
195 Antrochoanal polyps 126
196 Treatment of simple nasal polyps 126
197 Epiphora 126

Section 3: The Larynx and Tracheobronchial Tree

198 Development of the larynx 130
199 The infantile larynx in comparison with the adult 130
200 Cartilaginous framework of the larynx 130
201 Laryngeal musculature 130
202 In the cavity of the larynx 132
203 Neurovascular supply and lymphatic drainage of the larynx 132
204 Physical examination of the larynx 132
205 Sphincteric functions of the larynx 134
206 During deglutition 134
207 In voice production 136
208 Symptoms and signs of laryngeal disease in the
newborn include 136
209 Congenital laryngeal stridor (laryngomalacia) 136
21 0 Congenital laryngeal web 138
211 In closed laryngeal injuries 138
212 Laryngeal trauma 140
213 Abnormal voice production 140
214 Acute non-specific laryngitis in children 140
215 Acute epiglottitis 142
216 Acute laryngotracheobronchitis 142
217 Keratosis of the larynx 142
218 Juvenile respiratory papillomatosis 144
219 Benign lesions of the larynx 144
220 In the 1987 UICC classification of malignant tumours
of the larynx 146
221 Spread of malignant disease of the larynx 146
222 Total laryngectomy 148
223 Laryngocoeles 148
224 Oedema of the larynx 148
225 In episodes of stridor 150
226 Neural paralysis of the larynx 150
x MCQs in OTOLARYNGOLOGY

227 Management of laryngeal paralysis 150

228 Voice disorders 150
229 Development of the trachea and bronchi 152
230 In the trachea 152
231 In the neck 152
232 In the tracheobronchial tree 152
233 In the upper air passages 154
234 In performing a tracheostomy 154
235 In the postoperative care of tracheostomy 154
236 In a child with a tracheostomy 156
237 Congenital abnormalities of the tracheobronchial tree 156
238 The following are indications necessitating tracheostomy 156
239 Tracheobronchial foreign bodies 158
240 In the management of an inhaled foreign body 158
241 Inflammatory processes in the tracheobronchial tree 158
242 In carcinoma of the bronchus 160
243 Management of benign tracheal stenosis 160

Section 4: The Mouth, Pharynx and Oesophagus

244 Development of the mouth 164
245 Development of the tongue 164
246 Development of the pharynx 164
247 The second pharyngeal pouch 166
248 Anatomy of the mouth 166
249 Dental anatomy 166
250 Anatomy of the nasopharynx 166
251 Anatomy of the oropharynx 168
252 The pharyngeal constrictor muscles 168
253 Anatomy of the palatine tonsil 170
254 The parapharyngeal space 170
255 The retropharyngeal space 172
256 The glossopharyngeal nerve 172
257 Lymphatic drainage of the pharynx 172
258 Immunology of the pharyngeal lymphoid tissue 174
259 Anatomy of the parotid gland 174
260 Anatomy of the submandibular gland 176
261 The infratemporal fossa 176
262 The temporomandibular joint 176
263 The soft palate 178
264 Derivatives of the pharyngeal pouches 178
265 White lesions of the oral cavity 178
266 Mouth ulcers 180
267 Tumours of the oral cavity 180
268 Salivary gland tumours 180
269 Benign salivary gland disease 182
270 During deglutition 182
271 Pathophysiology of swallowing 184
272 Stertor 184
273 Sleep apnoea in children 184
 Contents xi

27 4 Diphtheria 186
275 Chronic non-specific pharyngitis 186
276 Chronic specific pharyngitis 186
277 Acute tonsillitis 188
278 Quinsy 188
279 Tonsillectomy 188
280 Benign tumours of the oropharynx 188
281 Malignant tumours of the oropharynx 190
282 Lymphoma of the oropharynx 190
283 Treatment of squamous carcinoma of the tonsil 190
284 Hypopharyngeal tumours 192
285 Carcinoma of the pyriform fossa 192
286 Total pharyngolaryngectomy 192
287 Total pharyngolaryngectomy and oesophagectomy 194
288 Recurrence of hypopharyngeal carcinoma 194
289 Malignant cervical lymph nodes 194
290 Radical neck dissection 196
291 Functional neck dissection 196
292 Pharyngeal pouch (Zenker's diverticulum) 196
293 Thyroglossal cysts and sinuses 198
294 Branchial sinuses and fistulae 198
295 Branchial cysts 198
296 In the oesophagus 200
297 The lower oesophageal sphincter 200
298 Congenital oesophageal atresia 200
299 Hiatus hernia 202
300 Perforation of the oesophagus 202
301 Clinical features of a foreign body in the oesophagus include 202
302 Benign neoplasms of the oesophagus 204
303 Carcinoma of the oesophagus 204
304 Management of oesophageal cancer 204
305 Oesophageal stricture 204
306 Achalasia of the cardia 206

Section 5: General and Related

307 Radiotherapy 210
308 Efficacy of radiotherapy 210
309 During a course of radical radiotherapy for head and
neck cancer 210
310 Cytotoxic agents in head and neck cancer 212
311 Adjuvant chemotherapy in head and neck cancer 212
312 Use of lasers in surgery 212
313 The carbon dioxide laser 214
314 For the safe use of lasers 214
315 Clinical application of a C0 2 laser 214
316 Photodynamic therapy 216
317 Local anaesthetic and vasoconstrictor agents used in ENT 216
318 Biomaterials in otolaryngology 216
FOREWORD

A great deal of work has gone into compiling these multiple-choice

questions and answers. They are more interesting and entertaining than
simply reading a text book, but are not, of course, an alternative.
At each stage in your study, take advantage of the questions section
by section to see how much you have taken in. As the Americans say,
'frequent "mini exams" keep up the concentration'.
Not only students, but also all otolaryngologists will find this book
worthwhile for occasional reading, to see how much they know or think
they know. It will also be useful to those who have to set questions,
whether multiple-choice or otherwise.
This book is something different and is certainly worthwhile. It does
not take long to get used to the inevitable little tricks that multiple-
choice questions present.

Richard A. Williams, MA, MB, BChir, FRCS, FRCS(E), DLO

Director,
Ferens Institute of Otolaryngology,
London
August 1988

xii
PREFACE

Like them or loathe them, multiple-choice questions are firmly

established in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education. Their
importance can only increase as computers are used more and more to
automate the assessment of students.
This book is designed primarily as a revision aid. It is particularly
suitable for DLO and FRCS candidates throughout the world, but it
could be used with profit by undergraduates. It can be used to discover
gaps in knowledge and to reinforce what has been learned from standard
textbooks. We have included short notes with the answers. These
provide further information and try to explain why we favour a given
response in cases where there may be disagreement.
There are 1590 questions here, arranged as 318 stems, each with 5
independent true/false statements. All major areas of otolaryngology are
covered. The questions are ordered by subject in 5 sections: Ear; Nose
and Sinusus; Larynx and Tracheobronchial Tree; Mouth; Pharynx and
Oesophagus; and General and Related Subjects.
The subject matter is covered in the standard British ENT textbooks.
We have made extensive use of Scott-Brown, both fourth and fifth
editions, the ear, nose and throat volumes of Rob and Smith's
Operative Surgery, Groves and Gray's Synopsis of Otolaryngology,
Stell and Maran's Head and Neck Surgery, and Mawson and
Ludman's Diseases of the Ear.
When compiling MCQs it is tempting to stick to factual or
uncontroversial issues. This artificial restriction takes a lot of the interest
out of the subject. We have included controversial aspects of clinical
practice, as well as basic anatomy, physiology and pathology. We
recognize that the reduction of complex issues to a series of true/false
statements can never be perfect. No doubt some experienced
colleagues will disagree with our answers. Perhaps they will take
consolation from the fact that in real life the unfortunate candidate not
only has to know what is right, but also to know what the examiner
knows is right!

xiii
xiv MCQs in OTOLARYNGOLOGY

We are grateful to the Director and staff of the Ferens Institute of

Otolaryngology, under whose auspices the book was produced. We also
thank our colleagues and students at the Royal Ear Hospital, the
Middlesex Hospital and Mount Vernon Hospital for their helpful
suggestions. In particular we would like to thank Mr Richard Williams, Mr
Graham Fraser, Mr Garry Glover and Mr Phillip Robinson for their careful
reading of the questions. They have all pointed out ambiguities and
inconsistencies which bedevil the MCQ compiler. Any faults which
remain are the authors' responsibility. Finally, we would like to thank our
wives, Georgina and Sylvia, for their continued support during the
two-year gestation period of the book.

London, 1989 R.S.D.

J.W.F.