Ear and audiology: fissures of Santorini: 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: fissures of Santorini

Sample item

A man with a furuncle in the cartilaginous external canal develops tender swelling in front of the tragus. Through which anatomical gaps can infection spread to the parotid region?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Fissures of Santorini in the cartilaginous canal

The cartilaginous canal has vertical clefts, the fissures of Santorini, that connect it with the parotid gland and the tissues around the temporomandibular joint. Infection and also tumour can therefore spread to these regions. They are absent in the bony canal.

Option by option

  • A. Petrosquamous suture

    The petrosquamous suture carries a vein linking middle ear infection to the meninges.

  • B. Fissures of Santorini in the cartilaginous canal (correct)

    Correct. These gaps in the cartilage link the canal with the parotid.

  • C. Mastoid emissary vein

    The emissary vein drains the sigmoid sinus and relates to mastoid infection, not preauricular spread.

  • D. Foramen of Huschke in an adult

    The foramen of Huschke normally closes by about 5 years of age.

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.

More ENT questions

Questions about this ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is B, Fissures of Santorini in the cartilaginous canal. The cartilaginous canal has vertical clefts, the fissures of Santorini, that connect it with the parotid gland and the tissues around the temporomandibular joint.

Why is "Petrosquamous suture" not the answer?

The petrosquamous suture carries a vein linking middle ear infection to the meninges.

Why is "Mastoid emissary vein" not the answer?

The emissary vein drains the sigmoid sinus and relates to mastoid infection, not preauricular spread.

Why is "Foramen of Huschke in an adult" not the answer?

The foramen of Huschke normally closes by about 5 years of age.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Ear and audiology: fissures of Santorini in ENT. Infection and also tumour can therefore spread to these regions. They are absent in the bony canal.

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: fissures of Santorini?

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.