CH. 13: Disease & Disorder Terms

Question 1

labyrinthitis

Answer 1

inflammation of the labyrinth

Question 2

mastoiditis

Answer 2

inflammation of the mastoid bone

Question 3

myringitis

Answer 3

inflammation of the tympanic membrane (eardrum)

Question 4

otalgia

Answer 4

pain in the ear

Question 5

otomycosis

Answer 5

abnormal condition of fungus in the ear (usu. affects the external auditory canal)

Question 6

otopyorrhea

Answer 6

discharge of pus from the ear

Question 7

otorrhea

Answer 7

discharge from the ear (may be serous, bloody, consisting of pus, or containing cerebrospinal fluid)

Question 8

ostosclerosis

Answer 8

hardening of the ear (stapes) (caused by irregular bone development and resulting in hearing loss)

Question 9

acoustic neuroma

Answer 9

benign tumor within the internal auditory canal growing from the acoustic nerve; may cause hearing loss and may damage structures of the cerebellum as it grows.

Question 10

cholesteatoma

Answer 10

cystlike mass composed of epithelial cells and cholesterol occurring in the middle ear; may be associated with chronic otitis media.

Question 11

Meniere disease

Answer 11

chronic disease of the inner ear characterized by a sensation of spinning motion (vertigo), ringing in the ear (tinnitus), aural fullness, and fluctuating hearing loss; symptoms are related to a change in volume or composition of fluid within the labyrinth.

Question 12

otitis externa (OE)

Answer 12

inflammation of the outer ear

Question 13

otitis media (OM)

Answer 13

inflammation of the middle ear

Question 14

ototoxicity

Answer 14

adverse pharmacological reaction causing damage to the vestibulocochlear nerve; results in abnormalities of hearing and balance.

Question 15

presbycusis

Answer 15

hearing impairment occurring with age

Question 16

tinnitus

Answer 16

ringing in the ears

Question 17

vertigo

Answer 17

sense that either one’s own body (subjective vertigo) or the environment (objective vertigo) is revolving; may indicate inner ear disease.

Question 18

benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)

Answer 18

characterized by brief episodes of vertigo associated with a change in the position of the head, such as turning over in bed or sitting up in the morning. In BPPV, normal calcium carbonate crystals called otoconia break loose and shift within the labyrinth, triggering an episode of vertigo.