Infections: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic: danger triangle of the face: practice question

A Dermatology 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.

Try it

Dermatology · Infections: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic: danger triangle of the face

Sample item

A young man squeezes a boil beside his nose. Two days later he has high fever and a swollen, proptosed eye with restricted eye movements, and within a day the other eye also swells and he becomes drowsy. Which complication has occurred?

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

The answer and the reasoning

A. Cavernous sinus thrombosis

Veins of the central face drain through the angular and ophthalmic veins, which have no valves, into the cavernous sinus. Infected thrombus can therefore spread, and spread to the opposite eye with drowsiness points to cavernous sinus thrombosis, needing intravenous antibiotics.

Option by option

  • A. Cavernous sinus thrombosis (correct)

    Correct. Bilateral spread, ophthalmoplegia and drowsiness after a nasal furuncle indicate thrombosis of the cavernous sinus.

  • B. Preseptal cellulitis

    Preseptal cellulitis causes lid swelling without proptosis or restricted eye movement.

  • C. Orbital cellulitis

    Orbital cellulitis is unilateral and does not usually cross to the opposite eye or cause drowsiness.

  • D. Acute dacryocystitis

    Dacryocystitis is a painful swelling at the medial canthus over the lacrimal sac.

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 Dermatology questions

Questions about this Dermatology question

What is the answer to this Dermatology question?

The best answer is A, Cavernous sinus thrombosis. Veins of the central face drain through the angular and ophthalmic veins, which have no valves, into the cavernous sinus.

Why is "Preseptal cellulitis" not the answer?

Preseptal cellulitis causes lid swelling without proptosis or restricted eye movement.

Why is "Orbital cellulitis" not the answer?

Orbital cellulitis is unilateral and does not usually cross to the opposite eye or cause drowsiness.

Why is "Acute dacryocystitis" not the answer?

Dacryocystitis is a painful swelling at the medial canthus over the lacrimal sac.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Infections: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic: danger triangle of the face in Dermatology. Infected thrombus can therefore spread, and spread to the opposite eye with drowsiness points to cavernous sinus thrombosis, needing intravenous antibiotics.

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 Infections: bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic: danger triangle of the face?

Learn each condition by its primary lesion, site and signature sign. Then use the flashcards and the other Dermatology 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.