Head and neck: cribriform plate fracture: 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: cribriform plate fracture

Sample item

After a head injury, a man has loss of smell and a clear watery nasal discharge that leaves a halo on a handkerchief. Which part of the skull base is most likely fractured?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Cribriform plate of the ethmoid

The cribriform plate is perforated by olfactory filaments and is closely adherent to dura. Fracture tears the filaments, causing anosmia, and the dura, causing CSF rhinorrhoea. CSF is identified by beta-2 transferrin in the discharge.

Option by option

  • A. Sella turcica

    The sella holds the pituitary gland and is not related to the olfactory nerves.

  • B. Petrous part of the temporal bone

    Fracture of the petrous bone causes CSF otorrhoea, Battle sign and facial or vestibulocochlear injury.

  • C. Cribriform plate of the ethmoid (correct)

    Correct. Fracture here tears the olfactory filaments and dura.

  • D. Occipital condyle

    Occipital condyle injury threatens the craniocervical junction and lower cranial nerves, not smell.

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 C, Cribriform plate of the ethmoid. The cribriform plate is perforated by olfactory filaments and is closely adherent to dura.

Why is "Sella turcica" not the answer?

The sella holds the pituitary gland and is not related to the olfactory nerves.

Why is "Petrous part of the temporal bone" not the answer?

Fracture of the petrous bone causes CSF otorrhoea, Battle sign and facial or vestibulocochlear injury.

Why is "Occipital condyle" not the answer?

Occipital condyle injury threatens the craniocervical junction and lower cranial nerves, not smell.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck: cribriform plate fracture in Anatomy. Fracture tears the filaments, causing anosmia, and the dura, causing CSF rhinorrhoea. CSF is identified by beta-2 transferrin in the discharge.

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: cribriform plate fracture?

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.