Palsy of right genioglossus causes:
**Core Concept**
The genioglossus muscle is a key extrinsic muscle of the tongue, primarily responsible for its protrusion and retraction. Palsy or weakness of this muscle can lead to impaired tongue movements, which may have significant implications for airway patency and respiratory function.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
Palsy of the right genioglossus muscle would lead to weakness or paralysis of the right side of the tongue. This would cause the tongue to deviate towards the affected side upon protrusion, as the intact left genioglossus muscle would pull the tongue towards the left. This deviation is a classic clinical sign of unilateral genioglossus palsy. The right genioglossus muscle is innervated by the hypoglossal nerve (CN XII), which carries motor fibers from the brainstem to the tongue.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** This option is incomplete and lacks a specific answer choice, making it impossible to evaluate.
**Option B:** This option is not relevant to the clinical presentation of genioglossus palsy. The lingual nerve (CN V3) is responsible for sensation in the tongue, not motor function.
**Option C:** This option is incorrect because palsy of the right genioglossus muscle would not cause the tongue to deviate towards the left. Instead, it would deviate towards the right.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
A key clinical correlation is that genioglossus palsy can increase the risk of airway obstruction, particularly during sleep, as the tongue may fall back and occlude the airway.
**Correct Answer:** C.