Skull: pterion: practice question

A Anatomy 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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Anatomy · Skull: pterion

Sample item

A young man is hit on the side of the head, loses consciousness briefly and then recovers, only to deteriorate hours later with a dilated ipsilateral pupil. Which fracture site is most likely to have torn the vessel responsible?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Pterion, overlying the anterior division of the middle meningeal artery

The pterion, where the frontal, parietal, temporal and sphenoid bones meet, is the thinnest part of the lateral skull. The anterior division of the middle meningeal artery runs beneath it, and its rupture causes an extradural haematoma with a lucid interval.

Option by option

  • A. Pterion, overlying the anterior division of the middle meningeal artery (correct)

    Correct. The thin bone overlies the middle meningeal artery.

  • B. Bregma, overlying the superior sagittal sinus

    The bregma overlies the sagittal sinus, causing venous bleeding rather than an arterial extradural bleed.

  • C. Lambda, overlying the transverse sinus

    The lambda overlies the sagittal sinus junction and does not relate to the middle meningeal artery.

  • D. Asterion, overlying the sigmoid sinus

    The asterion overlies the transverse-sigmoid junction and venous bleeding is not the classic lucid-interval lesion.

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 Anatomy questions

Questions about this Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is A, Pterion, overlying the anterior division of the middle meningeal artery. The pterion, where the frontal, parietal, temporal and sphenoid bones meet, is the thinnest part of the lateral skull.

Why is "Bregma, overlying the superior sagittal sinus" not the answer?

The bregma overlies the sagittal sinus, causing venous bleeding rather than an arterial extradural bleed.

Why is "Lambda, overlying the transverse sinus" not the answer?

The lambda overlies the sagittal sinus junction and does not relate to the middle meningeal artery.

Why is "Asterion, overlying the sigmoid sinus" not the answer?

The asterion overlies the transverse-sigmoid junction and venous bleeding is not the classic lucid-interval lesion.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Skull: pterion in Anatomy. The anterior division of the middle meningeal artery runs beneath it, and its rupture causes an extradural haematoma with a lucid interval.

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 Skull: pterion?

Learn every nerve by its route, its muscles and what a lesion looks like at the bedside. That one habit answers a large share of questions. Then use the flashcards and the other Anatomy 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.