Oral cavity: lingual thyroid: 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.

Try it

ENT · Oral cavity: lingual thyroid

Sample item

A 14-year-old girl has a midline mass at the base of the tongue and mild dysphagia. Ultrasound of the neck shows no thyroid in the usual site. What is the next step before any excision?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Thyroid scintigraphy to confirm that it is the only functioning thyroid tissue

A lingual thyroid is failed descent of thyroid tissue from the foramen caecum and may be the patient's only thyroid tissue. Scintigraphy with technetium or iodine confirms this and avoids rendering the patient hypothyroid by blind excision. Thyroxine suppression may shrink the mass.

Option by option

  • A. Observation with no tests

    Symptomatic masses need evaluation and management.

  • B. Thyroid scintigraphy to confirm that it is the only functioning thyroid tissue (correct)

    Correct. Confirm whether it is the only thyroid before treatment.

  • C. Immediate excision of the mass

    Removal could cause permanent hypothyroidism.

  • D. Radioiodine ablation without imaging

    Ablation without imaging is inappropriate.

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, Thyroid scintigraphy to confirm that it is the only functioning thyroid tissue. A lingual thyroid is failed descent of thyroid tissue from the foramen caecum and may be the patient's only thyroid tissue.

Why is "Observation with no tests" not the answer?

Symptomatic masses need evaluation and management.

Why is "Immediate excision of the mass" not the answer?

Removal could cause permanent hypothyroidism.

Why is "Radioiodine ablation without imaging" not the answer?

Ablation without imaging is inappropriate.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Oral cavity: lingual thyroid in ENT. Scintigraphy with technetium or iodine confirms this and avoids rendering the patient hypothyroid by blind excision. Thyroxine suppression may shrink the mass.

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 Oral cavity: lingual thyroid?

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.