Breast and endocrine surgery: lateral aberrant thyroid: 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 · Breast and endocrine surgery: lateral aberrant thyroid

Sample item

A 30-year-old woman has a firm 2 cm swelling in the lateral neck. Cytology shows papillary carcinoma cells with thyroid follicular elements. What is the swelling most likely to be?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Nodal metastasis of papillary carcinoma

So-called lateral aberrant thyroid is not normal thyroid tissue lying in the neck but a lymph node metastasis from a papillary carcinoma, often from a small or occult primary in the gland. Management is total thyroidectomy with neck dissection and radioiodine.

Option by option

  • A. Nodal metastasis of papillary carcinoma (correct)

    Correct. Thyroid tissue in a lateral cervical node is metastatic papillary carcinoma.

  • B. Benign ectopic thyroid tissue

    Benign ectopic thyroid occurs along the thyroglossal tract in the midline and not in the lateral neck.

  • C. A branchial cyst

    A branchial cyst contains cholesterol-rich fluid and squamous lining, not malignant thyroid cells.

  • D. A carotid body tumour

    A carotid body tumour is a firm pulsatile mass at the carotid bifurcation and has paraganglioma cells.

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 General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is A, Nodal metastasis of papillary carcinoma. So-called lateral aberrant thyroid is not normal thyroid tissue lying in the neck but a lymph node metastasis from a papillary carcinoma, often from a small or occult primary in the gland.

Why is "Benign ectopic thyroid tissue" not the answer?

Benign ectopic thyroid occurs along the thyroglossal tract in the midline and not in the lateral neck.

Why is "A branchial cyst" not the answer?

A branchial cyst contains cholesterol-rich fluid and squamous lining, not malignant thyroid cells.

Why is "A carotid body tumour" not the answer?

A carotid body tumour is a firm pulsatile mass at the carotid bifurcation and has paraganglioma cells.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Breast and endocrine surgery: lateral aberrant thyroid in General Surgery. Management is total thyroidectomy with neck dissection and radioiodine.

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 Breast and endocrine surgery: lateral aberrant thyroid?

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.