ATI RN
Pediatric Neurology Questions Questions
Question 1 of 5
Causof megalocephaly include all of the following EXCEPT
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Megalocephaly (large head) results from chronic subdural effusions , hydrocephalus , Canavan disease (D in original), congenital CMV , and familial traits , all increasing brain or skull size via fluid, tissue, or genetics. Thalassemia , a hemoglobinopathy, causmarrow hyperplasia and skull thickening (e.g., frontal bossing), but not true megalocephaly, which involvbrain or CSF volume. Subdurals expand skull space, hydrocephalus enlargventricles, and familial casreflect benign inheritance. Thalassemias skeletal focus, not brain enlargement, makes A the exception and correct answer, per differential diagnostic criteria.
Question 2 of 5
An effective way to screen for fetal neural tube defects is to determine, in the mother
Correct Answer: B
Rationale: Maternal serum α-fetoprotein (MSAFP) screens for neural tube defects (NTDs) like spina bifida at 16-18 weeks, per ACOG. Elevated AFP indicatopen defects leaking into amniotic fluid. Chromosomdetect aneuploidy, not NTDs. Estriols and prolactin assess fetal well-being or lactation, not defects. Fibronectin predicts preterm labor. MSAFPs specificity for NTDs, validated by screening programs, make B the correct answer.
Question 3 of 5
The most common cause of neonatal seizuris
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is the most common neonatal seizure cause (~50-60%), per Volpe, from perinatal asphyxia disrupting brain metabolism. Febrile seizuroccur later (6 months-5 years). Pre-eclampsia affects mothers, indirectly fetuses. Hypocalcemia is less frequent (~10%). Aicardi syndrome is rare. HIprevalence in term infants makes D the correct answer.
Question 4 of 5
A 19-year-old female presents with headache, unsteadiness, and poor hearing progressed over 5 years. Her father had brain surgery and deafness since age 35. The most likely diagnosis is
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Neurofibromatosis type II (NF2) fits progressive hearing loss, unsteadiness (vestibular schwannomas), and headache, with autosomal dominant inheritance (fathers deafness post-surgery). NF2 (chromosome 22) causbilateral vestibular schwannomas. Optic glioma and NF1 lack hearing loss prominence. Tuberous sclerosis featurseizures, not deafness. Congenital deafness isnt progressive. NF2s familial and auditory profile makes A the correct answer.
Question 5 of 5
Neurofibromatosis (NF type 1) has characteristic flat, light brown macules, called
Correct Answer: A
Rationale: Caféau lait maculare flat, light brown spots defining NF1, per NIH criteria, with ≥6 (prepubertal >5 mm) signaling diagnosis. Adenoma sebaceum are angiofibromas in tuberous sclerosis. Ash-leaf spots are hypopigmented in tuberous sclerosis. Shagreen patch is a connective tissue nevus in tuberous sclerosis. Nail fibromas are unrelated. NF1s autosomal dominant (chromosome 17) pattern and macule specificity make A the correct answer, distinguishing it from other neurocutaneous syndromes.