Thorax: tracheobronchial tree: practice question

A Anatomy question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Anatomy · Thorax: tracheobronchial tree

Sample item

A 2-year-old child suddenly chokes while eating peanuts and develops a unilateral wheeze. At bronchoscopy the foreign body is most likely to be found in which structure, and why?

ATrachea above the carina, because it is narrowest thereBLeft lower lobe bronchus, because it is the most verticalCLeft main bronchus, because it is wider and shorterDRight main bronchus, because it is wider, shorter and more vertical

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Right main bronchus, because it is wider, shorter and more vertical

The right main bronchus is about 2.5 cm long, wider and makes a steeper angle (about 25 degrees from the vertical) with the trachea than the left (about 45 degrees). Aspirated material therefore tends to enter the right bronchus and lodge in the intermediate or lower lobe branches.

Option by option

A. Trachea above the carina, because it is narrowest there
A foreign body would then cause stridor and not a unilateral wheeze, and the carina lies below.
B. Left lower lobe bronchus, because it is the most vertical
The left bronchial tree leaves the trachea at a greater angle, so aspiration there is less likely.
C. Left main bronchus, because it is wider and shorter
The left bronchus is longer and narrower and leaves at a sharper angle, so it is less often entered.
D. Right main bronchus, because it is wider, shorter and more vertical (correct)
Correct. The right bronchus is wider, shorter and more in line with the trachea.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is D, Right main bronchus, because it is wider, shorter and more vertical. The right main bronchus is about 2.

Why is "Trachea above the carina, because it is narrowest there" not the answer?

A foreign body would then cause stridor and not a unilateral wheeze, and the carina lies below.

Why is "Left lower lobe bronchus, because it is the most vertical" not the answer?

The left bronchial tree leaves the trachea at a greater angle, so aspiration there is less likely.

Why is "Left main bronchus, because it is wider and shorter" not the answer?

The left bronchus is longer and narrower and leaves at a sharper angle, so it is less often entered.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thorax: tracheobronchial tree in Anatomy. 5 cm long, wider and makes a steeper angle (about 25 degrees from the vertical) with the trachea than the left (about 45 degrees). Aspirated material therefore tends to enter the right bronchus and lodge in the intermediate or lower lobe branches.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Thorax: tracheobronchial tree?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.