Head and neck tumours: Riedel thyroiditis: 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 · Head and neck tumours: Riedel thyroiditis

Sample item

A 50-year-old woman has a stony hard, fixed, painless goitre that has enlarged slowly over years with breathing difficulty. She has no fever, weight loss or hoarseness. Biopsy shows dense fibrosis. What is the diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

D. Riedel thyroiditis

Riedel thyroiditis is a rare fibrosing disease in which fibrous tissue replaces the gland and invades neighbouring muscles, giving a wood-hard fixed goitre with compressive symptoms. Anaplastic carcinoma grows rapidly in elderly patients.

Option by option

  • A. Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

    Anaplastic carcinoma enlarges within weeks in an older patient with hoarseness and weight loss.

  • B. Hashimoto thyroiditis

    Hashimoto thyroiditis gives a firm rubbery goitre, not a stony fixed one with invasive fibrosis.

  • C. De Quervain thyroiditis

    De Quervain thyroiditis is painful with fever and raised ESR, and is self-limiting.

  • D. Riedel thyroiditis (correct)

    Correct. Slowly progressive wood-hard fixed goitre with dense fibrosis is Riedel thyroiditis.

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 D, Riedel thyroiditis. Riedel thyroiditis is a rare fibrosing disease in which fibrous tissue replaces the gland and invades neighbouring muscles, giving a wood-hard fixed goitre with compressive symptoms.

Why is "Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma" not the answer?

Anaplastic carcinoma enlarges within weeks in an older patient with hoarseness and weight loss.

Why is "Hashimoto thyroiditis" not the answer?

Hashimoto thyroiditis gives a firm rubbery goitre, not a stony fixed one with invasive fibrosis.

Why is "De Quervain thyroiditis" not the answer?

De Quervain thyroiditis is painful with fever and raised ESR, and is self-limiting.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Head and neck tumours: Riedel thyroiditis in ENT. Anaplastic carcinoma grows rapidly in elderly patients.

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 tumours: Riedel thyroiditis?

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.