Nose and paranasal sinuses: staging of angiofibroma: 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 · Nose and paranasal sinuses: staging of angiofibroma

Sample item

A 16-year-old boy with a nasopharyngeal angiofibroma has CT showing erosion of the skull base with only minimal intracranial extradural extension. In the Radkowski staging, which stage is this?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Stage IIIA

In Radkowski staging, stage I is confined to the nasopharynx and nasal cavity, stage II involves the pterygopalatine fossa (IIA, IIB) or infratemporal fossa (IIC), and stage III shows skull base erosion, IIIA with minimal and IIIB with extensive intracranial extension. Skull base erosion with minimal intracranial extension is IIIA. Embolisation is done before surgery.

Option by option

  • A. Stage IIIA (correct)

    Correct. Skull base erosion with minimal intracranial extension is IIIA.

  • B. Stage IIC

    Stage IIC extends into the infratemporal fossa without skull base erosion.

  • C. Stage IIA

    Stage IIA shows minimal pterygopalatine fossa extension without skull base erosion.

  • D. Stage IA

    Stage IA is limited to the nasopharynx and nasal cavity.

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 A, Stage IIIA. In Radkowski staging, stage I is confined to the nasopharynx and nasal cavity, stage II involves the pterygopalatine fossa (IIA, IIB) or infratemporal fossa (IIC), and stage III shows skull base erosion, IIIA with minimal and IIIB with extensive intracranial extension.

Why is "Stage IIC" not the answer?

Stage IIC extends into the infratemporal fossa without skull base erosion.

Why is "Stage IIA" not the answer?

Stage IIA shows minimal pterygopalatine fossa extension without skull base erosion.

Why is "Stage IA" not the answer?

Stage IA is limited to the nasopharynx and nasal cavity.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Nose and paranasal sinuses: staging of angiofibroma in ENT. Skull base erosion with minimal intracranial extension is IIIA. Embolisation is done before surgery.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as a multi-step question: it asks you to combine more than one idea. 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 Nose and paranasal sinuses: staging of angiofibroma?

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.