Ear and audiology: sudden SNHL work-up: 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: sudden SNHL work-up

Sample item

A 38-year-old has sudden unilateral sensorineural hearing loss of 60 dB over three adjacent frequencies, evolving over a day, with normal otoscopy. Apart from starting oral steroids early, what additional investigation is recommended to exclude an underlying cause?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. MRI of the internal acoustic meatus and cerebellopontine angle

Sudden sensorineural loss is often idiopathic, but a small proportion are due to retrocochlear lesions such as vestibular schwannoma. MRI is therefore advised once the diagnosis is made. Early corticosteroids improve the chance of recovery.

Option by option

  • A. MRI of the internal acoustic meatus and cerebellopontine angle (correct)

    Correct. MRI excludes a retrocochlear cause.

  • B. Mastoid CT only

    Mastoid CT is not for sensorineural loss without middle ear disease.

  • C. Caloric test alone

    Caloric tests do not exclude a tumour.

  • D. Plain skull X-ray

    Skull films do not show the internal acoustic meatus lesions.

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, MRI of the internal acoustic meatus and cerebellopontine angle. Sudden sensorineural loss is often idiopathic, but a small proportion are due to retrocochlear lesions such as vestibular schwannoma.

Why is "Mastoid CT only" not the answer?

Mastoid CT is not for sensorineural loss without middle ear disease.

Why is "Caloric test alone" not the answer?

Caloric tests do not exclude a tumour.

Why is "Plain skull X-ray" not the answer?

Skull films do not show the internal acoustic meatus lesions.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Ear and audiology: sudden SNHL work-up in ENT. MRI is therefore advised once the diagnosis is made. Early corticosteroids improve the chance of recovery.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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: sudden SNHL work-up?

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.