Auditory Disorders

Question 1

Superior semicircular canal dehiscence

Answer 1

• vestibular system
• opening in the bony labyrinth of the superior semicircular canal
• vertigo, oscillopsia, autophony, and possible hearing loss (sensorineural)
• surgery to plug dehiscence

Question 2

Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo

Answer 2

• vestibular system
• calcium carbonate crystals (otoconia) become dislodged and fall into the semicircular canals
• vertigo, dizziness, balance problems
• should resolve on it’s own, but a physician can perform a Dix-Hallpike maneuver

Question 3

Meniere’s disease

Answer 3

• inner ear
• imbalance of endolymph with an unknown cause
• vertigo, low SNHL, aural fullness, low-pitched tinnitus
• diet change, surgery, infusions, medication

Question 4

Enlarged vestibular aqueducts

Answer 4

• inner ear/vestibular system
• malformed vestibular aqueducts due to genetic mutation
• SNHL
• hearing aids, cochlear implant, speech therapy

Question 5

Noise-induced hearing loss/acoustic trauma

Answer 5

• inner ear
• loss of hearing due to loud noise exposure
• muffled sounds, tinnitus, reduced speech comprehension
• ear protection, hearing aids, cochlear implant

Question 6

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss/sudden deafness

Answer 6

• inner ear
• sudden loss of hearing of 30 dB or more that develops over a period of 3 days and is a hearing loss across 3 continguous frequencies of unknown cause
• sudden hearing loss
• corticosteroids, hearing aids, cochlear implant

Question 7

Central auditory processing disorder (CAPD)

Answer 7

• auditory nerve
• affects how the brain processes sound, even though they may hear sounds normally (can be genetic, head injuries, frequent ear infections)
• difficulty understanding speech, mishearing words, language delays, easily distracted, trouble following directions
• auditory training, hearing aids, speech therapy

Question 8

Acoustic neuroma

Answer 8

• auditory nerve
• benign tumor that forms on the eighth cranial nerve
• hearing loss unilaterally, tinnitus, balance issues, vertigo, headaches, nausea, dysphagia, blurred vision
• surgery, radiation therapy

Question 9

Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder/auditory dyssynchrony

Answer 9

• auditory nerve
• nerve cells of the eighth cranial nerve do not fire in sync as they should, which disrupts the nerve’s ability to transmit sound properly (despite normal ear function)
• hearing loss, poor speech perception, hearing changes frequently

Question 10

Tympanic membrane perforation

Answer 10

• middle ear
• rupture in the tympanic membrane caused by otitis media, barotrauma, or foreign objects
• pain, hearing loss, high infection risk
• healing naturally, tympanoplasty for larger perforations

Question 11

Ossicular disarticulation/dyssynchrony

Answer 11

• middle ear
• ossicles disarticulate due to trauma
• hearing loss, tinnitus
• prosthetics

Question 12

Labyrinthitis

Answer 12

• inner ear
• viral infection where the labyrinth of the inner ear is inflamed
• balance issues, vertigo, tinnitus, aural fullness
• rest, antibiotics, corticosteroids

Question 13

Vestibular neuritis

Answer 13

• auditory nerve
• eighth cranial nerve is inflamed due to viral infection
• vertigo, imbalance, vomiting and nausea, motion sensitivity
• medications, physical therapy

Question 14

Ototoxicity

Answer 14

• inner ear
• damage to the cochlea from drugs or chemicals
• tinnitus, balance issues, dizziness, oscillopsia
• hearing aids, cochlear implant

Question 15

Vestibulotoxicity

Answer 15

• vestibular system/nerve
• poisoning of vestibular system/nerve by drugs or chemicals
• blurred vision, unsteadiness, dizziness, nausea
• hearing aid, cochlear implant

Question 16

Tinnitus

Answer 16

• other
• noises heard in the head, many possible causes
• can be subjective (ringing, buzzing, roaring) or objective (mechanical, whooshing, clicking)
• medication, masking device, hearing aid, neuromodulation, chemo

Question 17

Malingering/non-organic hearing loss/functional hearing loss

Answer 17

• other
• faking a hearing loss for financial gain or attention
• use stenger test, lombard test, or stapedial reflex test

Question 18

Extosis (surfer’s ear)

Answer 18

• outer ear
• bony outgrowths in the EAC because of irritation from repetitive cold water exposure
• no symptoms, possible hearing loss if outgrowths are very large
• surgery, prevention techniques

Question 19

Otitis externa (swimmer’s ear)

Answer 19

• outer ear
• infection of the tissues lining the EAC due to bacterial infection or fungus
• pain
• topical treatments, antibiotics, prevention

Question 20

Anotia

Answer 20

• outer ear
• complete absence of ear due to DNA malformations or maternal drug exposure
• hearing loss
• reconstructive surgery

Question 21

Atresia

Answer 21

• outer ear
• absence or closure of the ear canal due to genetic and environmental factors during pregnancy
• hearing loss
• surgery, hearing aids, prosthetics

Question 22

Microtia

Answer 22

• outer ear
• abnormality or the outer ear due to prenatal factors like vitamin deficiencies and maternal drug use
• possible hearing loss
• surgery, prosthetics, hearing aids

Question 23

Otitis media

Answer 23

• middle ear
• bacterial/fungal/viral infection of the middle ear
• ear pain, trouble sleeping and hearing, loss of appetite
• antibiotics, myringotomy, pressure equalization tubes

Question 24

Glomus tumor

Answer 24

• middle ear
• benign tumor growing in the middle ear
• pulsing sound of blood flow, bleeding in one ear, potential hearing loss
• surgical removal, radiation, endoscopic endonasal approach (EEA)

Question 25

Cholesteatoma

Answer 25

- middle ear - benign growth of skin cells and debris caused by retraction pocket in TM, repeated infection, or eustachian tube dysfunction - bad smelling discharge, aural fullness, and a pearly white mass - tympanomastoidectomy (surgery), ossicular reconstruction, antibiotics

Question 26

Otosclerosis

Answer 26

- middle ear - outgrowth of the bony wall of the inner ear, usually around the stapes footplate (strong hereditary component, but may also be caused by viral infections) - gradual and progressive hearing loss, tinnitus, possible vertigo - stapedectomy, stapedotomy, hearing aid, cochlear implant

Question 27

Presbycusis

Answer 27

- inner ear - hearing loss that comes with age - SNHL (affecting higher pitches), reduced speech recognition, symmetrical HL - hearing aids, cochlear implant, speech reading, auditory training

Question 28

Temporal bone fractures

Answer 28

- inner ear - closed head injury fracturing the temporal bone - bloody otorrhea and hymotympanum, SNHL, balance issues - ossicular chain reconstruction, cochlear implant