Laryngeal disease: vocal cord palsy: 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 · Laryngeal disease: vocal cord palsy

Sample item

A patient develops persistent hoarseness after thyroid surgery. Which nerve injury is most likely?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury

The recurrent laryngeal nerve supplies most intrinsic laryngeal muscles and injury can cause hoarseness from vocal cord paresis. Laryngoscopic assessment is appropriate for persistent postoperative dysphonia.

Option by option

  • A. Greater occipital nerve injury

    Occipital nerve injury causes posterior scalp sensory symptoms.

  • B. Facial nerve injury

    Facial nerve injury affects facial expression.

  • C. Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury (correct)

    Correct. The recurrent laryngeal nerve is vulnerable during thyroid surgery.

  • D. Hypoglossal nerve injury

    Hypoglossal injury affects tongue movement.

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 C, Recurrent laryngeal nerve injury. The recurrent laryngeal nerve supplies most intrinsic laryngeal muscles and injury can cause hoarseness from vocal cord paresis.

Why is "Greater occipital nerve injury" not the answer?

Occipital nerve injury causes posterior scalp sensory symptoms.

Why is "Facial nerve injury" not the answer?

Facial nerve injury affects facial expression.

Why is "Hypoglossal nerve injury" not the answer?

Hypoglossal injury affects tongue movement.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Laryngeal disease: vocal cord palsy in ENT. Laryngoscopic assessment is appropriate for persistent postoperative dysphonia.

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 Laryngeal disease: vocal cord palsy?

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.