Abdomen and pelvis: psoas abscess: 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 · Abdomen and pelvis: psoas abscess

Sample item

A 30-year-old man with tuberculosis of the lumbar spine has a fluctuant swelling in the right femoral triangle. Along which fascial sheath did the pus track from the vertebrae?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Psoas sheath

Pus from lumbar vertebral tuberculosis enters the fascia covering psoas major and tracks along it under the inguinal ligament to the femoral triangle, sometimes pointing near the lesser trochanter. The psoas sheath is attached to the lumbar vertebrae, so it carries infection from the spine to the thigh.

Option by option

  • A. Psoas sheath (correct)

    Correct. The psoas sheath extends from the vertebral bodies to the thigh.

  • B. Femoral sheath

    The femoral sheath is the funnel of fascia round the femoral vessels below the inguinal ligament, and does not extend up to the spine.

  • C. Posterior layer of thoracolumbar fascia

    This layer encloses the erector spinae and tracks pus to the lumbar triangle, not to the femoral triangle.

  • D. Rectus sheath

    The rectus sheath encloses the rectus abdominis in the anterior abdominal wall.

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, Psoas sheath. Pus from lumbar vertebral tuberculosis enters the fascia covering psoas major and tracks along it under the inguinal ligament to the femoral triangle, sometimes pointing near the lesser trochanter.

Why is "Femoral sheath" not the answer?

The femoral sheath is the funnel of fascia round the femoral vessels below the inguinal ligament, and does not extend up to the spine.

Why is "Posterior layer of thoracolumbar fascia" not the answer?

This layer encloses the erector spinae and tracks pus to the lumbar triangle, not to the femoral triangle.

Why is "Rectus sheath" not the answer?

The rectus sheath encloses the rectus abdominis in the anterior abdominal wall.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Abdomen and pelvis: psoas abscess in Anatomy. The psoas sheath is attached to the lumbar vertebrae, so it carries infection from the spine to the thigh.

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 Abdomen and pelvis: psoas abscess?

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.