NEET PG ENT Syllabus

ENT syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for ENT in NEET PG, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Anatomy and Physiology

   2 topics

   • Anatomy of the ear, nose, throat, and related structures
     • External ear
     • Middle ear
     • Inner ear
     • Nasal cavity
     • Paranasal sinuses
     • Pharynx
     • Larynx
     • Trachea
   • Physiology of hearing, balance, smell, taste, and speech production
2. 2

   Otology

   5 topics

   • Ear examination
     • Otoscopy
     • Tuning fork tests (Weber and Rinne tests)
     • Audiometry
   • Outer ear disorders
     • Otitis externa
     • Foreign body in the ear
     • Trauma to the external ear
   • Middle ear disorders
     • Acute otitis media
     • Chronic otitis media
     • Otosclerosis
     • Tympanic membrane perforation
   • Inner ear disorders
     • Meniere's disease
     • Vestibular neuritis
     • Labyrinthitis
   • Hearing loss
     • Conductive hearing loss
     • Sensorineural hearing loss
     • Mixed hearing loss
     • Evaluation and management
3. 3

   Rhinology

   4 topics

   • Nasal examination
     • Anterior rhinoscopy
     • Endoscopy
     • Imaging (CT scan, MRI)
   • Nasal obstruction
     • Deviated nasal septum
     • Nasal polyps
     • Allergic rhinitis
     • Nasal tumors
   • Sinusitis
     • Acute sinusitis
     • Chronic sinusitis
     • Fungal sinusitis
     • Complications of sinusitis
   • Epistaxis
     • Causes
     • Evaluation
     • Management of anterior and posterior epistaxis
4. 4

   Laryngology

   4 topics

   • Laryngeal examination
     • Indirect laryngoscopy
     • Direct laryngoscopy
     • Flexible laryngoscopy
   • Voice disorders
     • Hoarseness
     • Dysphonia
     • Vocal cord nodules
     • Vocal cord paralysis
     • Laryngeal tumors
   • Laryngopharyngeal reflux
     • Clinical features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Stridor
     • Causes of inspiratory and expiratory stridor
     • Evaluation
     • Management
5. 5

   Head and Neck Surgery

   4 topics

   • Neck masses
     • Evaluation and management of cervical lymphadenopathy
     • Evaluation and management of thyroid nodules
     • Evaluation and management of salivary gland tumors
   • Thyroid surgery
     • Thyroidectomy for benign and malignant thyroid disorders
     • Lobectomy for benign and malignant thyroid disorders
     • Isthmectomy for benign and malignant thyroid disorders
   • Parathyroid surgery
     • Parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism
   • Head and neck cancer
     • Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
     • Management principles
     • Surgical approaches
6. 6

   Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

   3 topics

   • Pediatric ear disorders
     • Otitis media with effusion
     • Acute otitis media
     • Congenital hearing loss
   • Pediatric nasal and sinus disorders
     • Choanal atresia
     • Adenoid hypertrophy
     • Nasal foreign bodies
   • Pediatric airway disorders
     • Laryngomalacia
     • Tracheomalacia
     • Congenital laryngeal anomalies
7. 7

   Audiology and Vestibular Disorders

   3 topics

   • Audiological evaluation
     • Pure tone audiometry
     • Speech audiometry
     • Tympanometry
     • Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
   • Vertigo and dizziness
     • Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
     • Vestibular neuritis
     • Meniere's disease
     • Vestibular migraine
   • Vestibular testing
     • Caloric testing
     • Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP)
     • Rotary chair testing
8. 8

   Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

   3 topics

   • Clinical features
   • Diagnosis
     • Polysomnography
   • Management
     • Continuous positive airway pressure
     • Surgical options
9. 9

   Allergy and Immunology

   2 topics

   • Allergic rhinitis
     • Clinical features
     • Allergen testing
     • Management
   • Immunodeficiency disorders
     • Evaluation and management of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies affecting the upper respiratory tract
10. 10

    Emergency Otorhinolaryngology

    2 topics

    • Airway management
      • Assessment and management of upper airway obstruction
      • Foreign body aspiration
      • Epiglottitis
    • Facial trauma
      • Evaluation and management of facial fractures
      • Nasal fractures
      • Laryngeal trauma

ENT flashcards for NEET PG

20 of 52 cards from the ENT deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Which nerve provides sensory innervation to most of the external auditory canal and is responsible for the cough/vasovagal reflex during ear examination (Arnold's reflex)?

   The auricular branch of the vagus nerve (CN X, Arnold's nerve). Stimulation can cause reflex coughing or syncope.

2. Name the three ossicles of the middle ear in order from the tympanic membrane to the oval window.

   Malleus, incus, and stapes. The stapes footplate sits in the oval window.

3. What is the function of the Eustachian tube, and which muscle opens it during swallowing?

   It equalizes middle ear pressure with atmospheric pressure and drains middle ear secretions. The tensor veli palatini opens it during swallowing/yawning.

4. Which structure of the inner ear is responsible for hearing, and which cells transduce sound?

   The cochlea (organ of Corti) is responsible for hearing. The hair cells (inner and outer) transduce mechanical vibration into neural signals.

5. Describe the place theory of hearing regarding frequency localization in the cochlea.

   The base of the cochlea detects high frequencies; the apex (helicotrema end) detects low frequencies. Position along the basilar membrane encodes pitch.

6. Which cranial nerves carry taste, and from which parts of the tongue?

   Anterior two-thirds: facial nerve (chorda tympani, CN VII). Posterior one-third: glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX). Epiglottis/base: vagus (CN X).

7. What is the difference between conductive and sensorineural hearing loss in terms of Rinne and Weber tests?

   Conductive: Rinne negative (BC>AC) on affected ear; Weber lateralizes to affected ear. Sensorineural: Rinne positive (AC>BC); Weber lateralizes to the better (normal) ear.

8. In a normal Rinne test, how do air conduction and bone conduction compare?

   Air conduction is greater than bone conduction (AC > BC), i.e., Rinne positive — heard about twice as long by air.

9. What is otitis externa, and what is the most common bacterial cause?

   Diffuse inflammation/infection of the external auditory canal ('swimmer's ear'). Most common bacterial cause is Pseudomonas aeruginosa; Staphylococcus aureus is also common.

10. What is malignant (necrotizing) otitis externa, who gets it, and the typical organism?

    An aggressive osteomyelitis of the temporal bone/skull base, typically in elderly diabetics or immunocompromised patients. Caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa; can cause cranial nerve palsies (especially facial nerve).

11. What organism causes otomycosis, and what is the characteristic finding?

    Most commonly Aspergillus niger (also Candida). Characteristic finding is wet blotting-paper appearance with black/white fungal hyphae and 'pepper'-like dots in the canal.

12. What is acute otitis media (AOM), and what are the three most common bacterial pathogens?

    Acute suppurative infection of the middle ear. Top pathogens: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae (non-typeable), and Moraxella catarrhalis.

13. What is otitis media with effusion (glue ear), and what is its main clinical consequence in children?

    Non-suppurative middle ear fluid behind an intact tympanic membrane without acute infection. Causes conductive hearing loss and possible speech/language delay; managed with grommets if persistent.

14. Differentiate the two types of chronic suppurative otitis media (CSOM).

    Tubotympanic (safe/mucosal) type: central perforation, mucosal disease, low complication risk. Atticoantral (unsafe/squamous) type: marginal/attic perforation with cholesteatoma, high risk of complications.

15. What is a cholesteatoma?

    A destructive accumulation of keratinizing stratified squamous epithelium in the middle ear/mastoid. It erodes bone, can cause complications, and is treated surgically (mastoidectomy).

16. What is otosclerosis and its hallmark clinical features?

    Abnormal bone remodeling fixing the stapes footplate at the oval window, causing conductive hearing loss. Features: progressive hearing loss in young adults, positive family history, paracusis Willisii, and Schwartze sign (pink promontory).

17. What are the classic clinical triad/features of Meniere's disease?

    Episodic vertigo (minutes to hours), fluctuating low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss, and tinnitus, often with aural fullness. Caused by endolymphatic hydrops.

18. What is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), and the diagnostic and treatment maneuvers?

    Brief vertigo triggered by head position changes due to canalith debris (usually posterior semicircular canal). Diagnosed with Dix-Hallpike test; treated with Epley repositioning maneuver.

19. How is vestibular neuritis distinguished from labyrinthitis?

    Vestibular neuritis: acute vertigo WITHOUT hearing loss (vestibular nerve only). Labyrinthitis: vertigo WITH hearing loss/tinnitus (whole labyrinth involved).

20. What is an acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma), and which condition associates with bilateral tumors?

    A benign Schwann cell tumor of the vestibular portion of CN VIII at the cerebellopontine angle. Bilateral acoustic neuromas are pathognomonic of Neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF2).

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