Head and neck: great auricular nerve: 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 · Head and neck: great auricular nerve

Sample item

After parotidectomy a man has numbness over the lobule of the ear and the skin over the angle of the mandible, and the facial muscles work normally. Which nerve was divided?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Great auricular nerve

The great auricular nerve (C2 and C3) ascends over sternocleidomastoid and supplies the skin over the parotid, the angle of the mandible and the lobule and adjacent auricle. It is commonly cut in parotid surgery, causing numbness without motor loss.

Option by option

  • A. Transverse cervical nerve

    The transverse cervical nerve supplies the skin of the anterior neck.

  • B. Lesser occipital nerve

    The lesser occipital nerve supplies the skin behind the ear and the adjacent scalp.

  • C. Auriculotemporal nerve

    The auriculotemporal nerve supplies the skin in front of the ear and the temple.

  • D. Great auricular nerve (correct)

    Correct. The great auricular nerve supplies the ear lobule and the parotid skin.

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 Anatomy question

What is the answer to this Anatomy question?

The best answer is D, Great auricular nerve. The great auricular nerve (C2 and C3) ascends over sternocleidomastoid and supplies the skin over the parotid, the angle of the mandible and the lobule and adjacent auricle.

Why is "Transverse cervical nerve" not the answer?

The transverse cervical nerve supplies the skin of the anterior neck.

Why is "Lesser occipital nerve" not the answer?

The lesser occipital nerve supplies the skin behind the ear and the adjacent scalp.

Why is "Auriculotemporal nerve" not the answer?

The auriculotemporal nerve supplies the skin in front of the ear and the temple.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck: great auricular nerve in Anatomy. It is commonly cut in parotid surgery, causing numbness without motor loss.

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 Head and neck: great auricular nerve?

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.