Ear and audiology: Battle sign: 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 · Ear and audiology: Battle sign

Sample item

A rider is brought after a road accident with bruising over the right mastoid process that appeared two days later. Which injury does this sign indicate?

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

The answer and the reasoning

B. Fracture of the petrous temporal bone in the middle cranial fossa

Delayed postauricular ecchymosis (Battle sign) appears when blood tracks from a middle fossa or petrous temporal fracture to the mastoid skin. Periorbital bruising (raccoon eyes) points instead to an anterior fossa fracture. Look for hemotympanum, CSF otorrhoea and facial palsy.

Option by option

  • A. Fracture of the mandibular condyle

    A condylar fracture gives pain, malocclusion and deviation of the jaw on opening.

  • B. Fracture of the petrous temporal bone in the middle cranial fossa (correct)

    Correct. Blood from a petrous or middle fossa fracture tracks to the mastoid skin after 24 to 48 hours.

  • C. Subperiosteal abscess of the mastoid

    A subperiosteal abscess is an infective swelling with fever and tenderness after mastoiditis, not post-traumatic bruising.

  • D. Fracture of the anterior cranial fossa

    An anterior fossa fracture shows periorbital ecchymosis and CSF rhinorrhoea, not mastoid bruising.

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 ENT questions

Questions about this ENT question

What is the answer to this ENT question?

The best answer is B, Fracture of the petrous temporal bone in the middle cranial fossa. Delayed postauricular ecchymosis (Battle sign) appears when blood tracks from a middle fossa or petrous temporal fracture to the mastoid skin.

Why is "Fracture of the mandibular condyle" not the answer?

A condylar fracture gives pain, malocclusion and deviation of the jaw on opening.

Why is "Subperiosteal abscess of the mastoid" not the answer?

A subperiosteal abscess is an infective swelling with fever and tenderness after mastoiditis, not post-traumatic bruising.

Why is "Fracture of the anterior cranial fossa" not the answer?

An anterior fossa fracture shows periorbital ecchymosis and CSF rhinorrhoea, not mastoid bruising.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Ear and audiology: Battle sign in ENT. Periorbital bruising (raccoon eyes) points instead to an anterior fossa fracture. Look for hemotympanum, CSF otorrhoea and facial palsy.

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 Ear and audiology: Battle sign?

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.