Gray's Anatomy Review
Questions: Head and
Neck Exam Questions
Verified and Provided
with A+ Graded
Answers |Latest
Updated 2026/2027
,A 2-month-old male infant had a small pit at the anterior border of the
sternocleidomastoid muscle, with mucus dripping intermittently from the opening. The pit
extended to the tonsillar fossa as a branchial fistula. Which of the following embryologic
structure(s) is (are) involved in this anomaly?
A. Second pharyngeal arch
B.Second pharyngeal pouch and groove
C. Third pharyngeal pouch
D.Thyroglossal duct
E.Second pharyngeal pouch and cervical sinus
E
A 2-day-old infant was born with a cleft palate. The major portion of the palate develops
from which of the following embryonic structures?
A. Lateral palatine process
B.Median palatine process
C. Intermaxillary segment
D.Median nasal prominences
E. Frontonasal eminence
A
A 3-day-old infant has a small area of the right iris missing, and a diagnosis of coloboma
of the iris is made. Which of the following is the most likely embryologic cause of the
coloboma?
A. Failure of the retinal/choroid fissure to close
B.Abnormal neural crest formation
C. Abnormal interactions between the optic vesicle and ectoderm
D.Posterior chamber cavitation
E.Weak adhesion between the inner and outer layers of the optic vesicle
A
,Early closure of the fontanelles of the infant skull can result in compression of the brain,
restricting brain growth. Which of the following fontanelles is located at the junction of
sagittal and coronal sutures and at what age does this fontanelle typically close?
A. Posterior fontanelle, which closes at about 2 years
B.Mastoid fontanelle, which closes at about 16 months
C. Lambdoid fontanelle, which closes at 8 months to 1 year
D.Sphenoidal fontanelle, which closes at 3 years
E
A 3-year-old boy is admitted to the hospital because of a soft, anterior, midline cervical
mass. When the patient is asked to protrude his tongue, the mass in the neck is
observed to move upward. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
A. A thyroglossal duct cyst
B.Defect in sixth pharyngeal arch
C. A branchial cyst
D.Cystic fistula of the third pharyngeal arch
E. Defect in first pharyngeal arch
A
A 2-day-old infant male has a noticeable gap inhis upper lip. The diagnosis is a cleft lip.
Failure of fusion of which of the following structures is the most likely cause of this
anomaly?
A. Lateral nasal and maxillary prominences/ processes
B.Medial nasal prominences/processes
C. Lateral nasal and medial nasal
prominences/ processes
D.Lateral prominences/processes
E. Maxillary prominences/processes and the intermaxillary segment
E
, A 3-day-old male has a noticeably small mandible. A CT scan and physical examinations
reveal hypoplasia of the mandible, cleft palate, and defects of the eye and ear. Abnormal
development of which of the following pharyngeal arches will most likely produce such
symptoms?
A. First arch
B.Second arch
C. Third arch
D.Fourth arch
E.Sixth arch
A
A 5-day-old infant male has an abnormally large head. A CT scan examination
reveals enlarged lateral and third ventricles but a normal-size fourth ventricle.
Stenosis of the cerebral aqueduct (of Sylvius) is suspected. Which of the following
conditions will be characteristic of these symptoms?
A. Nonobstructive hydrocephalus
B.Anencephaly
C. Obstructive hydrocephalus
D.Meroanencephaly
E. Holoprosencephaly
C
A 3-month-old male infant has a lump in his neck. A biopsy of the lump shows it to be
thymic tissue. Based on embryonic origin, which of the following additional structures is
most likely to have an ectopic location?
A. Jugulodigastric lymph node
B.Lingual tonsil
C. Parathyroid gland
D.Submandibular gland E. Thyroid gland
C
Questions: Head and
Neck Exam Questions
Verified and Provided
with A+ Graded
Answers |Latest
Updated 2026/2027
,A 2-month-old male infant had a small pit at the anterior border of the
sternocleidomastoid muscle, with mucus dripping intermittently from the opening. The pit
extended to the tonsillar fossa as a branchial fistula. Which of the following embryologic
structure(s) is (are) involved in this anomaly?
A. Second pharyngeal arch
B.Second pharyngeal pouch and groove
C. Third pharyngeal pouch
D.Thyroglossal duct
E.Second pharyngeal pouch and cervical sinus
E
A 2-day-old infant was born with a cleft palate. The major portion of the palate develops
from which of the following embryonic structures?
A. Lateral palatine process
B.Median palatine process
C. Intermaxillary segment
D.Median nasal prominences
E. Frontonasal eminence
A
A 3-day-old infant has a small area of the right iris missing, and a diagnosis of coloboma
of the iris is made. Which of the following is the most likely embryologic cause of the
coloboma?
A. Failure of the retinal/choroid fissure to close
B.Abnormal neural crest formation
C. Abnormal interactions between the optic vesicle and ectoderm
D.Posterior chamber cavitation
E.Weak adhesion between the inner and outer layers of the optic vesicle
A
,Early closure of the fontanelles of the infant skull can result in compression of the brain,
restricting brain growth. Which of the following fontanelles is located at the junction of
sagittal and coronal sutures and at what age does this fontanelle typically close?
A. Posterior fontanelle, which closes at about 2 years
B.Mastoid fontanelle, which closes at about 16 months
C. Lambdoid fontanelle, which closes at 8 months to 1 year
D.Sphenoidal fontanelle, which closes at 3 years
E
A 3-year-old boy is admitted to the hospital because of a soft, anterior, midline cervical
mass. When the patient is asked to protrude his tongue, the mass in the neck is
observed to move upward. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?
A. A thyroglossal duct cyst
B.Defect in sixth pharyngeal arch
C. A branchial cyst
D.Cystic fistula of the third pharyngeal arch
E. Defect in first pharyngeal arch
A
A 2-day-old infant male has a noticeable gap inhis upper lip. The diagnosis is a cleft lip.
Failure of fusion of which of the following structures is the most likely cause of this
anomaly?
A. Lateral nasal and maxillary prominences/ processes
B.Medial nasal prominences/processes
C. Lateral nasal and medial nasal
prominences/ processes
D.Lateral prominences/processes
E. Maxillary prominences/processes and the intermaxillary segment
E
, A 3-day-old male has a noticeably small mandible. A CT scan and physical examinations
reveal hypoplasia of the mandible, cleft palate, and defects of the eye and ear. Abnormal
development of which of the following pharyngeal arches will most likely produce such
symptoms?
A. First arch
B.Second arch
C. Third arch
D.Fourth arch
E.Sixth arch
A
A 5-day-old infant male has an abnormally large head. A CT scan examination
reveals enlarged lateral and third ventricles but a normal-size fourth ventricle.
Stenosis of the cerebral aqueduct (of Sylvius) is suspected. Which of the following
conditions will be characteristic of these symptoms?
A. Nonobstructive hydrocephalus
B.Anencephaly
C. Obstructive hydrocephalus
D.Meroanencephaly
E. Holoprosencephaly
C
A 3-month-old male infant has a lump in his neck. A biopsy of the lump shows it to be
thymic tissue. Based on embryonic origin, which of the following additional structures is
most likely to have an ectopic location?
A. Jugulodigastric lymph node
B.Lingual tonsil
C. Parathyroid gland
D.Submandibular gland E. Thyroid gland
C
