Audiometry Exam III Study Set Flashcards
Pinna Malformations
Atresia: The EAC is abnormally closed, and usually unilateral.
Microtia: Abnormally small pinna.
Macrotia: Abnormally large pinna.
Anotia: Absence of pinna.
EAC Problems
Atresia: The EAC is abnormally closed, and usually unilateral.
Stenosis: Abnormal narrowing of the external auditory canal.
Treacher Collins Syndrome: Stenosis and atresia are often present.
All of these issues have the possibility in resulting in a conductive hearing loss meaning a bad AC and good BC.
Malformation Treatments
Atresia: If unilateral defer treatment and use headband hearing device. If bilateral surgery should be tried, but is risky. A prosthetic oracle could be used.
Stenosis: A meatoplasty should be performed.
Occlusive Materials causing CHL
A cerumen or ear wax blockage can cause a conductive hearing loss. This can occur from incorrect cleaning, stenosis, or hearing aids. This can result in a type B tympanogram.
Foreign Bodies causing CHL
Otalgia: An earache.
Ear canal inflammatory response.
Objects in the EAC can penetrate TM, push stapes into the inner ear, and dislocate the ossicles.
External Otitis
Known as swimmers ear and can inflame the pinna, EAC, or both. This issue has multiple causes including infection, water exposure, allergy, and etc. Treatments for this can be steroids, topical antibiotics, warm salt water irrigation.
Tympanic Membrane Disorders
Tympanosclerosis: TM scarring, poor TM flaccidity, and poor TM mobility.
Perforations: A hole in the ear drum which could cause conductive hearing loss. These can be treated depending on the location and size. A myringoplasty (incision in TM to relieve pressure) is the surgery to help this.
Otitis Media
This is a fluid filled middle ear. This can be otherwise known as an ear infection and this can present eustachian tube dysfunction. To open the e-tube a valsalva (pinch nose and blow) or Toynbee maneuver can be performed (pinch nose and swallow). Otitis media results in conductive hearing loss and can be a type b tympanogram with effusion.
Otitis Media Types
Acute, chronic, or with effusion. Fluid within it can be bloody, mucous, serous, or purulent.
Otitis Media Treatment
Eliminate fluid filled middle ear, and prevent damage to sound transmission system. A myringotomy can be preformed if infection is persistent.
Cholesteatoma
This is improper Eustachian tube function which causes negative pressure and ear drum retraction. Skin can grow onto middle ear around perforation.
Surgeries to treat Cholesteatoma
Tympanoplasty, Mastoidectomy, Tympanomastoidectomy, or Ossiculoplasty.
Otosclerosis
Progressive sensorineural or conductive hearing loss in one ear with inflammatory tissue active (otospnogiosis) growth or inactive (sclerotic) growth. It is mostly seen in females and Caucasians, and it may be delayed and cause hormonal changes. This would have a Type B flat tympanogram.
Carhart’s Notch
This is a bone conduction threshold increase that occurs in those with otosclerosis and peaks at 2000Hz.
Otosclerosis Treatment
Non-surgical methods include anti-inflammatory drugs and steroids. Surgical methods include fenestration and stapedectomy (removing the stapes footplate and replacing it with a prosthetic, hearing restored in 80-95%, but cochlea damage is 2-6%).
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
An inner ear pathology that is typically bilateral, could be delayed or congenital and can occur with or without other abnormalities. It can be a trait that is transmitted through dominant recessive, and sex-linked genes.
Presbycusis
An inner ear pathology that happens to 5-20% of those under 65, and 60% of those over 65. An audiogram for this can be sloping or flat.
Meniere’s Disease
An inner ear pathology that has endolymphatic hydrops, extra pressure in the endolymphatic system because of excess fluid production. Symptoms of this could be vertigo, tinnitus, and ear fullness. The membranous labyrinth also tends to be dilated.
