Neck swellings: carotid body tumour: 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 · Neck swellings: carotid body tumour

Sample item

A 45-year-old has a firm pulsatile neck mass at the carotid bifurcation that moves from side to side but not vertically. Angiography shows splaying of the carotid bifurcation. What is the diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Carotid body tumour (chemodectoma)

Carotid body tumours are paragangliomas that splay the internal and external carotids (lyre sign), and they are mobile horizontally but not vertically (Fontaine sign). Biopsy is avoided and imaging with CT or MR angiography guides surgery. Surgical excision is by subadventitial dissection.

Option by option

  • A. Lymphoma node

    Lymphoma nodes are non-pulsatile and do not splay the bifurcation.

  • B. Carotid body tumour (chemodectoma) (correct)

    Correct. This is a paraganglioma at the carotid bifurcation.

  • C. Thyroid nodule

    A thyroid nodule moves on swallowing.

  • D. Branchial cyst

    Branchial cyst is non-pulsatile and cystic.

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 General Surgery questions

Questions about this General Surgery question

What is the answer to this General Surgery question?

The best answer is B, Carotid body tumour (chemodectoma). Carotid body tumours are paragangliomas that splay the internal and external carotids (lyre sign), and they are mobile horizontally but not vertically (Fontaine sign).

Why is "Lymphoma node" not the answer?

Lymphoma nodes are non-pulsatile and do not splay the bifurcation.

Why is "Thyroid nodule" not the answer?

A thyroid nodule moves on swallowing.

Why is "Branchial cyst" not the answer?

Branchial cyst is non-pulsatile and cystic.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Neck swellings: carotid body tumour in General Surgery. Biopsy is avoided and imaging with CT or MR angiography guides surgery. Surgical excision is by subadventitial dissection.

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 Neck swellings: carotid body tumour?

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.