Nose and paranasal sinuses: primary ciliary dyskinesia: 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 · Nose and paranasal sinuses: primary ciliary dyskinesia

Sample item

A young man has chronic sinusitis, bronchiectasis, infertility and dextrocardia. Electron microscopy of cilia would show what defect?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Absent dynein arms in the cilia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia, with situs inversus as Kartagener syndrome, results from defective dynein arms and impaired ciliary motility. This causes poor mucociliary clearance, with recurrent sinusitis, otitis media and bronchiectasis, and immotile sperm. The saccharin test is a screening test of mucociliary clearance.

Option by option

  • A. Absent central tubules in the sperm only

    The defect affects all motile cilia, not only the sperm.

  • B. Excess mucus glands

    Mucus gland excess is a feature of cystic fibrosis.

  • C. Absent cilia from birth with normal sperm

    Cilia are present but immotile.

  • D. Absent dynein arms in the cilia (correct)

    Correct. Absent or defective dynein arms.

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 D, Absent dynein arms in the cilia. Primary ciliary dyskinesia, with situs inversus as Kartagener syndrome, results from defective dynein arms and impaired ciliary motility.

Why is "Absent central tubules in the sperm only" not the answer?

The defect affects all motile cilia, not only the sperm.

Why is "Excess mucus glands" not the answer?

Mucus gland excess is a feature of cystic fibrosis.

Why is "Absent cilia from birth with normal sperm" not the answer?

Cilia are present but immotile.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nose and paranasal sinuses: primary ciliary dyskinesia in ENT. This causes poor mucociliary clearance, with recurrent sinusitis, otitis media and bronchiectasis, and immotile sperm. The saccharin test is a screening test of mucociliary clearance.

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 Nose and paranasal sinuses: primary ciliary dyskinesia?

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.