Thyroid surgery: recurrent laryngeal nerve: practice question

A General Surgery 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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General Surgery · Thyroid surgery: recurrent laryngeal nerve

Sample item

Hoarseness after thyroidectomy most suggests injury to which nerve?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Recurrent laryngeal nerve

The recurrent laryngeal nerve supplies almost all intrinsic laryngeal muscles. Injury leads to vocal-cord paresis and hoarseness.

Option by option

  • A. Phrenic nerve

    Phrenic injury affects diaphragm movement.

  • B. Recurrent laryngeal nerve (correct)

    Correct. Vocal-cord motor loss follows recurrent laryngeal injury.

  • C. Hypoglossal nerve

    Hypoglossal injury affects tongue movement.

  • D. Facial nerve

    Facial injury affects facial expression.

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 General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is B, Recurrent laryngeal nerve. The recurrent laryngeal nerve supplies almost all intrinsic laryngeal muscles.

Why is "Phrenic nerve" not the answer?

Phrenic injury affects diaphragm movement.

Why is "Hypoglossal nerve" not the answer?

Hypoglossal injury affects tongue movement.

Why is "Facial nerve" not the answer?

Facial injury affects facial expression.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Thyroid surgery: recurrent laryngeal nerve in General Surgery. Injury leads to vocal-cord paresis and hoarseness.

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 Thyroid surgery: recurrent laryngeal nerve?

Learn classic signs and eponyms alongside what they diagnose. Then use the flashcards and the other General Surgery 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.