A 33-year-old woman undergoes an operation after a diagnosis of hyperparathyroidism is made. Intraoperatively, the left inferior parathyroid gland does not appear in its expected location. Which of the following embryologic events is most likely the cause of the findings in this patient?
Abnormal migration of endoderm from the third pharyngeal pouch
Absence of inductive factors in the third pharyngeal arch
Failure of neural crest migration through the fourth pharyngeal arch
Incomplete formation of the fourth pharyngeal pouch
Normal anatomic variant, albeit in a patient with hyperparathyroidism
—
Cut-to-the-chase Answer (0:39):
—
HY USMLE Answer (3:25):