Ear and audiology: Koerner's septum: practice question

A ENT 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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ENT · Ear and audiology: Koerner's septum

Sample item

A surgeon performing cortical mastoidectomy removes the superficial cells but cannot find the antrum, as a bony plate separates the superficial cells from the deeper ones. What is the plate called?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Koerner's septum

Koerner's septum is a persistent petrosquamous lamina that divides the mastoid into superficial squamous and deeper petrosal cells. A surgeon who stops at it may mistake it for the antrum floor and miss the disease. It is removed to reach the antrum.

Option by option

  • A. Koerner's septum (correct)

    Correct. It is the petrosquamous plate dividing the mastoid cell groups.

  • B. Bill's bar

    Bill's bar lies in the internal acoustic meatus.

  • C. Donaldson's line

    Donaldson's line is an imaginary line along the lateral canal.

  • D. Shrapnell's membrane

    Shrapnell's membrane is the pars flaccida.

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.

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Questions about this ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is A, Koerner's septum. Koerner's septum is a persistent petrosquamous lamina that divides the mastoid into superficial squamous and deeper petrosal cells.

Why is "Bill's bar" not the answer?

Bill's bar lies in the internal acoustic meatus.

Why is "Donaldson's line" not the answer?

Donaldson's line is an imaginary line along the lateral canal.

Why is "Shrapnell's membrane" not the answer?

Shrapnell's membrane is the pars flaccida.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Ear and audiology: Koerner's septum in ENT. A surgeon who stops at it may mistake it for the antrum floor and miss the disease. It is removed to reach the antrum.

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 Ear and audiology: Koerner's septum?

Learn tuning fork results and audiogram patterns by sketching them. Then use the flashcards and the other ENT 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.