Head and neck tumours: Brown sign in glomus tympanicum: 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 · Head and neck tumours: Brown sign in glomus tympanicum

Sample item

A pulsatile reddish mass is seen behind an intact tympanic membrane. On positive pressure with a pneumatic otoscope it blanches. What is this sign called?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Brown sign

Blanching of a vascular middle-ear mass on positive pressure applied through the pneumatic otoscope is Brown sign, seen in glomus tumours. A related finding is blanching with compression of the ipsilateral carotid (Aquino sign). Schwartze sign is the pink promontory of active otosclerosis.

Option by option

  • A. Brown sign (correct)

    Correct. Blanching on positive pressure is Brown sign of a glomus tumour.

  • B. Hennebert sign

    Hennebert sign is vertigo on pressure in the canal in the absence of a fistula.

  • C. Schwartze sign

    Schwartze sign is a pink flush of the promontory, which does not blanch characteristically on pressure.

  • D. Gelle sign

    Gelle test uses pressure to assess stapes mobility and is not a sign of a vascular mass.

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 A, Brown sign. Blanching of a vascular middle-ear mass on positive pressure applied through the pneumatic otoscope is Brown sign, seen in glomus tumours.

Why is "Hennebert sign" not the answer?

Hennebert sign is vertigo on pressure in the canal in the absence of a fistula.

Why is "Schwartze sign" not the answer?

Schwartze sign is a pink flush of the promontory, which does not blanch characteristically on pressure.

Why is "Gelle sign" not the answer?

Gelle test uses pressure to assess stapes mobility and is not a sign of a vascular mass.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck tumours: Brown sign in glomus tympanicum in ENT. A related finding is blanching with compression of the ipsilateral carotid (Aquino sign). Schwartze sign is the pink promontory of active otosclerosis.

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 tumours: Brown sign in glomus tympanicum?

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.