FCPS Part 2 Plastic Surgery MCQs: Skin Tumors, Craniofacial & Head/Neck

Skin & Soft Tissue Tumors, Craniofacial Anomalies and Head & Neck Reconstruction are three subjects in HighYield's FCPS Part 2 Plastic Surgery question bank — alongside already-covered subjects like Hand and Upper Extremity and Breast Surgery — that haven't had a dedicated practice post until now. Below is a sample across all three.

Skin & Soft Tissue Tumors

1. A pigmented lesion with irregular borders, colour variation and recent growth is most concerning for which diagnosis?

• A) Seborrheic keratosis
• B) Malignant melanoma ✅
• C) Dermatofibroma
• D) Pyogenic granuloma

2. Basal cell carcinoma, the most common skin malignancy, most classically presents as:

• A) A slowly growing nodule with ulceration and rolled, pearly borders ✅
• B) A verrucous plaque on the palms
• C) A deeply pigmented flat macule
• D) A tender erythematous papule with a central punctum

Craniofacial Anomalies

3. Premature fusion of the sagittal suture, producing a long, narrow skull, is called:

• A) Brachycephaly
• B) Scaphocephaly ✅
• C) Plagiocephaly
• D) Trigonocephaly

4. Cleft lip results from failure of fusion between which embryological structures?

• A) The two medial nasal prominences only
• B) The medial nasal prominence and the maxillary prominence ✅
• C) The two mandibular prominences
• D) The frontonasal and mandibular prominences

Head & Neck Reconstruction

5. For a large scalp defect with exposed calvarium, which is a classic workhorse option given its robust, reliable blood supply?

• A) Radial forearm flap
• B) Free latissimus dorsi muscle flap ✅
• C) Groin flap
• D) Gracilis flap

6. The "danger zone" of the scalp, where blunt trauma can cause a subgaleal hematoma to track widely, corresponds to which layer?

• A) Skin
• B) Loose areolar (subgaleal) tissue ✅
• C) Pericranium
• D) Galea aponeurotica itself

Why These Subjects Deserve Dedicated Revision

• Tumour-vs-benign-lesion distinctions (melanoma vs seborrheic keratosis, BCC morphology) are tested repeatedly because the decision point — not the diagnosis name — is what examiners probe.
• Craniosynostosis naming (by suture, not by "shape alone") is a classic FCPS Part 2 trap.
• Flap choice for scalp and head/neck defects is almost always tested as a reasoning question, not recall.

HighYield's FCPS Part 2 Plastic Surgery question bank covers every subspecialty tested in the exam, with every question explained. For the application process itself, see our FCPS Part 2 Plastic Surgery application guide. Try the first questions free, no sign-in required.