Paranasal sinuses: 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 · Paranasal sinuses

Sample item

A 15-year-old boy with acute frontal sinusitis develops a tender, doughy swelling over his forehead with fever. What is this swelling called and what does it represent?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Pott's puffy tumour, a subperiosteal abscess with osteomyelitis of the frontal bone

Acute frontal sinusitis can spread through the diploic veins to cause osteomyelitis of the frontal bone with a subperiosteal collection, seen as a puffy forehead swelling. It can extend intracranially to cause epidural or subdural abscess, so prompt drainage and antibiotics are required.

Option by option

  • A. Orbital cellulitis, infection posterior to the orbital septum

    Orbital cellulitis presents with lid oedema, proptosis and painful eye movement rather than a forehead swelling.

  • B. Pott's puffy tumour, a subperiosteal abscess with osteomyelitis of the frontal bone (correct)

    Spread through the frontal bone produces a tender forehead swelling that is the classic Pott's puffy tumour.

  • C. Frontal mucocele, a slowly expanding painless cyst

    A mucocele grows slowly over months and is painless, which does not fit a febrile acute swelling.

  • D. Cavernous sinus thrombosis, a septic thrombosis of the dural venous sinus

    Cavernous sinus thrombosis presents with bilateral eye signs and cranial nerve palsies, not a localised forehead swelling.

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 B, Pott's puffy tumour, a subperiosteal abscess with osteomyelitis of the frontal bone. Acute frontal sinusitis can spread through the diploic veins to cause osteomyelitis of the frontal bone with a subperiosteal collection, seen as a puffy forehead swelling.

Why is "Orbital cellulitis, infection posterior to the orbital septum" not the answer?

Orbital cellulitis presents with lid oedema, proptosis and painful eye movement rather than a forehead swelling.

Why is "Frontal mucocele, a slowly expanding painless cyst" not the answer?

A mucocele grows slowly over months and is painless, which does not fit a febrile acute swelling.

Why is "Cavernous sinus thrombosis, a septic thrombosis of the dural venous s…" not the answer?

Cavernous sinus thrombosis presents with bilateral eye signs and cranial nerve palsies, not a localised forehead swelling.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Paranasal sinuses in ENT. It can extend intracranially to cause epidural or subdural abscess, so prompt drainage and antibiotics are required.

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 Paranasal sinuses?

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.