A congenital second branchial cleft fistula discharges mucoid fluid from a cutaneous opening at the lower third of the neck along the anterior border of sternocleidomastoid. Where does the tract open internally?

• A Floor of the external auditory canal
• B Pyriform fossa
• C Tonsillar fossa ✓
• D Nasopharynx at the torus tubarius

Explanation

A second branchial cleft fistula runs from a skin opening at the lower third of the anterior border of sternocleidomastoid, passes between the internal and external carotid arteries, and opens into the tonsillar fossa. A first arch fistula opens near the external auditory canal, a third or fourth arch fistula opens into the pyriform fossa, and there is no branchial fistula draining to the nasopharyngeal torus. Complete surgical excision of the whole tract is curative.

Reference: Dhingra's Diseases of Ear, Nose and Throat, 8th ed.

High-yield for: NEET PGINI-CETNExTFMGEUSMLEPLABMRCP

Written and medically reviewed by the StethoPrep medical team.