A 50-year-old woman presents with a hard palate mass and numbness over the right cheek. Biopsy of the mass shows a cribriform pattern of basaloid cells. The numbness over the cheek is most likely due to tumor spread along which nerve?

• A Facial nerve (CN VII)
• B Maxillary nerve (V2) ✓
• C Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX)
• D Mandibular nerve (V3)

Explanation

Adenoid cystic carcinoma frequently exhibits perineural invasion. The maxillary nerve (V2) provides sensory innervation to the cheek, lower eyelid, side of the nose, and upper lip. A hard palate mass with cheek numbness indicates V2 involvement. The facial nerve is motor to the facial muscles. The glossopharyngeal nerve provides sensation to the posterior tongue and pharynx. The mandibular nerve supplies the lower jaw and chin.

Reference: Bailey and Love's Short Practice of Surgery, 28th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.