Larynx and airway: sulcus vocalis: 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 · Larynx and airway: sulcus vocalis

Sample item

A 25-year-old singer has a lifelong breathy, weak voice. Stroboscopy shows a groove along the vocal fold edge with absent mucosal wave. What is the diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Sulcus vocalis

Sulcus vocalis is a longitudinal groove in the vocal fold, with scarring of the lamina propria, causing stiffness and a reduced mucosal wave and glottic gap. Voice therapy and injection or medialisation are used. Surgery has variable results.

Option by option

  • A. Sulcus vocalis (correct)

    Correct. A groove with a stiff mucosal wave is typical.

  • B. Vocal fold polyp

    A polyp is a unilateral swelling.

  • C. Vocal nodules

    Nodules are bilateral swellings at the junction of the anterior and middle thirds.

  • D. Laryngeal web

    A web is a fibrous sheet across the anterior glottis.

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 A, Sulcus vocalis. Sulcus vocalis is a longitudinal groove in the vocal fold, with scarring of the lamina propria, causing stiffness and a reduced mucosal wave and glottic gap.

Why is "Vocal fold polyp" not the answer?

A polyp is a unilateral swelling.

Why is "Vocal nodules" not the answer?

Nodules are bilateral swellings at the junction of the anterior and middle thirds.

Why is "Laryngeal web" not the answer?

A web is a fibrous sheet across the anterior glottis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Larynx and airway: sulcus vocalis in ENT. Voice therapy and injection or medialisation are used. Surgery has variable results.

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 Larynx and airway: sulcus vocalis?

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.