Ear and audiology: enlarged vestibular aqueduct: 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: enlarged vestibular aqueduct

Sample item

A 6-year-old has stepwise worsening of sensorineural hearing loss after minor head knocks. CT of the temporal bone shows an enlarged vestibular aqueduct with a normal cochlea. Which advice is most appropriate?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Avoid contact sports and head trauma, with regular audiometric follow-up

An enlarged vestibular aqueduct is among the commonest inner ear malformations in congenital sensorineural loss and is linked to SLC26A4 variants (Pendred syndrome). Minor head trauma or barotrauma can precipitate sudden step-like falls in hearing. Counselling to avoid such events, audiological surveillance and later amplification or implantation are the mainstays.

Option by option

  • A. Avoid contact sports and head trauma, with regular audiometric follow-up (correct)

    Correct. Protection from trauma and barotrauma, with follow-up, is the recommended approach.

  • B. Immediate stapedectomy to restore hearing

    Stapedectomy treats stapes fixation and has no role in a sensorineural loss with normal ossicles.

  • C. Prophylactic labyrinthectomy to stop further drops

    Labyrinthectomy destroys residual hearing and is not preventive treatment.

  • D. Grommet insertion to equalise pressure

    There is no middle ear effusion, so ventilation tubes would not help.

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 A, Avoid contact sports and head trauma, with regular audiometric follow-up. An enlarged vestibular aqueduct is among the commonest inner ear malformations in congenital sensorineural loss and is linked to SLC26A4 variants (Pendred syndrome).

Why is "Immediate stapedectomy to restore hearing" not the answer?

Stapedectomy treats stapes fixation and has no role in a sensorineural loss with normal ossicles.

Why is "Prophylactic labyrinthectomy to stop further drops" not the answer?

Labyrinthectomy destroys residual hearing and is not preventive treatment.

Why is "Grommet insertion to equalise pressure" not the answer?

There is no middle ear effusion, so ventilation tubes would not help.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Ear and audiology: enlarged vestibular aqueduct in ENT. Minor head trauma or barotrauma can precipitate sudden step-like falls in hearing. Counselling to avoid such events, audiological surveillance and later amplification or implantation are the mainstays.

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: enlarged vestibular aqueduct?

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.