Deep neck infection: peritonsillar abscess: 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 · Deep neck infection: peritonsillar abscess

Sample item

A patient has severe unilateral sore throat, muffled hot-potato voice, trismus, uvular deviation, and drooling. What is the most likely diagnosis?

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

The answer and the reasoning

C. Peritonsillar abscess

Peritonsillar abscess causes unilateral peritonsillar swelling, trismus, altered voice, and uvular displacement. Airway assessment and urgent ENT management for drainage and antimicrobials are required.

Option by option

  • A. Simple viral pharyngitis

    Viral pharyngitis usually lacks trismus and unilateral peritonsillar mass effect.

  • B. Laryngomalacia

    Laryngomalacia is an infant airway condition.

  • C. Peritonsillar abscess (correct)

    Correct. This cluster is characteristic of quinsy.

  • D. Acute otitis externa

    Otitis externa affects the ear canal.

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 C, Peritonsillar abscess. Peritonsillar abscess causes unilateral peritonsillar swelling, trismus, altered voice, and uvular displacement.

Why is "Simple viral pharyngitis" not the answer?

Viral pharyngitis usually lacks trismus and unilateral peritonsillar mass effect.

Why is "Laryngomalacia" not the answer?

Laryngomalacia is an infant airway condition.

Why is "Acute otitis externa" not the answer?

Otitis externa affects the ear canal.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Deep neck infection: peritonsillar abscess in ENT. Airway assessment and urgent ENT management for drainage and antimicrobials are required.

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 Deep neck infection: peritonsillar abscess?

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.