The Pit
After severe postpartum hemorrhage, a patient develops this condition involving pituitary dysfunction due to ischemic injury to the gland.
What is Sheehan's syndrome?
After listening carefully to your patient describe brief episodes of dizziness triggered by changes in head position, without other neurologic symptoms, you diagnose them with this condition.
What is Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)?
This inflammation of the protective covering of the brain and spinal cord can present with fever, headache, neck stiffness, and photophobia.
What is meningitis?
During a lumbar puncture, cerebrospinal fluid is collected from this fluid-filled space surrounding the spinal cord.
What is the subarachnoid space?
The spinal cord becomes continuous with the brainstem through this large opening in the occipital bone.
What is the foramen magnum?
Excess growth hormone secretion from a pituitary adenoma in adulthood can cause enlargement of the hands, feet, and jaw in this condition.
What is acromegaly?
A patient presents with unilateral facial paralysis, inability to fully close the eye, and drooping of the mouth after a viral illness, without other neurologic signs suggestive of stroke. Dysfunction of this cranial nerve is most likely responsible.
What is the facial nerve (Bells Palsy)?
This inflammation of brain parenchyma may cause fever, altered mental status, seizures, and neurologic deficits.
What is encephalitis?
This region of the pharynx lies posterior to the vocal cords and continues inferiorly as the esophagus.
What is the laryngopharynx?
The optic nerve passes through this opening in the sphenoid bone.
What is the optic canal?
This type of pituitary adenoma can cause peripheral blindness, breast milk production, and menstrual irregularities.
What is a prolactinoma?
A trauma patient cannot be intubated because of severe facial injuries, requiring an emergency airway that bypasses the mouth. You perform this procedure.
What is a cricothyrotomy? (Tracheostomy is another possible airway procedure, but the cricothyrotomy is the classic emergency airway procedure)
Inflammation of air-filled spaces within the skull, near the nose and may produce facial pain, pressure, and congestion also known as this.
What is sinusitis?
This narrow channel connects the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle.
What is the cerebral aqueduct (aqueduct of Sylvius)?
The internal carotid artery enters the skull through this canal in the temporal bone.
What is the carotid canal?
In the HPA axis, this hypothalamic hormone stimulates the anterior pituitary to release ACTH.
What is corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH)?
A newborn presents with hydrocephalus caused by excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulation in the ventricles. To relieve intracranial pressure, you perform surgery to install this device.
What is a ventriculoperitoneal shunt?
Otitis media commonly develops when this structure fails to properly drain the middle ear into the nasopharynx.
What is the Eustachian (auditory) tube?
This dural venous sinus runs along the superior midline and contains arachnoid granulations involved in CSF reabsorption.
What is the superior sagittal sinus?
Fracture of this perforated portion of the ethmoid bone can cause cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhea and loss of smell due to damage to CN I fibers.
What is the cribriform plate?
This hormone is produced in the hypothalamus and released from the posterior pituitary to increase water reabsorption in the kidneys.
What is antidiuretic hormone (ADH) / vasopressin?
After listening to your patient, they share that they have developed a resting tremor, slowed movements, muscle rigidity, and difficulty maintaining balance. Degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra has likely caused this condition.
What is Parkinson’s disease?
This condition involves inflammation of immune-related structures in the oropharynx that were once removed more routinely in children than they are today.
What is tonsillitis?
This deep neck space located posterior to the pharynx can allow infections to spread from the neck into the mediastinum.
What is the retropharyngeal space?
Cranial nerves IX, X, and XI exit the skull through this opening.
What is the jugular foramen?