Ear: middle ear relations: 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.

Try it

Anatomy · Ear: middle ear relations

Sample item

A 12-year-old boy with chronic suppurative otitis media develops fever, headache and a seizure, and imaging shows a temporal lobe abscess. Which wall of the middle ear allowed spread of infection?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Roof (tegmen tympani)

The tegmen tympani is a thin plate of bone forming the roof of the middle ear and mastoid antrum and separates them from the middle cranial fossa and the temporal lobe. Erosion by cholesteatoma or infection can lead to meningitis, extradural abscess or temporal lobe abscess. The posterior route leads to sigmoid sinus thrombosis and cerebellar abscess.

Option by option

  • A. Floor (jugular bulb)

    The floor is related to the jugular bulb.

  • B. Posterior wall (mastoid and sigmoid plate)

    The posterior wall is related to the sigmoid sinus and posterior fossa, giving cerebellar abscess or sinus thrombosis.

  • C. Medial wall (promontory)

    The medial wall is related to the labyrinth and could cause labyrinthitis.

  • D. Roof (tegmen tympani) (correct)

    Correct. The thin roof lies against the temporal lobe.

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 D, Roof (tegmen tympani). The tegmen tympani is a thin plate of bone forming the roof of the middle ear and mastoid antrum and separates them from the middle cranial fossa and the temporal lobe.

Why is "Floor (jugular bulb)" not the answer?

The floor is related to the jugular bulb.

Why is "Posterior wall (mastoid and sigmoid plate)" not the answer?

The posterior wall is related to the sigmoid sinus and posterior fossa, giving cerebellar abscess or sinus thrombosis.

Why is "Medial wall (promontory)" not the answer?

The medial wall is related to the labyrinth and could cause labyrinthitis.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Ear: middle ear relations in Anatomy. Erosion by cholesteatoma or infection can lead to meningitis, extradural abscess or temporal lobe abscess. The posterior route leads to sigmoid sinus thrombosis and cerebellar abscess.

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 Ear: middle ear relations?

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.