Disorders of the Auditory System

Question 1

External Otitis

Answer 1

Infection of the external ear
Characterized by thickened skin on ear and ear canal
Painful, may be weeping of fluids
Swimmer's Ear
Get some Ear Drops

Question 2

Cellulitis

Answer 2

an infection of the skin not involving the perichondrium

an abscess may occur if left untreated

Question 3

Perichondritis

Answer 3

Affects perichondrium
characterized by edema (swelling), redness, and tenderness
Can progress to cartilage and lead to serious complications

Question 4

Injuries

Answer 4

Sunburn frostbite, chemical, radiation

Trauma, cue tips etc.

Question 5

Carcinoma of the External Ear

Answer 5

Cancer of outer ear.
Three types of malignant tumors
Basal Cell, Squamous Cell, and Melanoma

Question 6

Basal Cell Carcinoma

Answer 6

Basal skin grows out of control, does not metastasize
may spread locally
Usually related to sun exposure

Question 7

Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Answer 7

Most common malignant tumor of outer ear
Can travel via blood vessels and the lymph stream
Usually on pinna for men, concha in women

Question 8

Melanoma

Answer 8

Malignancy of the pigment cells that spread through the blood stream. High Mortality Rate

Question 9

Collapsing Ear Canal

Answer 9

Typically affects the old and infants

Headband can cause ear canals to collapse during testing giving bad results for Air Conduction

Question 10

Cerumen

Answer 10

Can collect in back cause of q-tips and cause conductive hearing loss
Needs to be taken out

Question 11

Stenosis

Answer 11

Narrowing of external ear canal

Trauma, inflammation, genetics can cause it as well as aging

Question 12

Atresia

Answer 12

A disease involving absence of the normal opening to the canal
Can be congenital or acquired
There can be a membranous or bony wall that separates the ear canal from middle ear space

Question 13

Microtia

Answer 13

Abnormally small pinna, often accompanies atresia

Question 14

Otalgia

Answer 14

Ear Pain

Often caused by a pathology somewhere else in the body

Question 15

Tympanic Membrane Perforation

Answer 15

abnormal opening in a structure of the membrane.
3 Types of perforations
Central, Marginal, retraction pockets (not true perforations)
Hearing loss can be between 0-40 dB

Question 16

Central Perforations

Answer 16

Perforations in the pars tensa

Trauma/infection common causes

Question 17

Marginal Perforations

Answer 17

Perforations involving the annulus

Can allow skin to migrate into the inner ear space

Question 18

Cholesteatoma

Answer 18

A tumorlike mass of skin/debris that builds up in middle ear space
Can be caused by otitis media or marginal perforations
Can lead to a range of problems

Question 19

Myringoplasty

Answer 19

Surgical repair of the Pars Tensa

Question 20

Tympanoplasty

Answer 20

Surgical repair of ear drum (Tympanic Membrane)

Question 21

Retraction Perforations

Answer 21

Caused by negative ear pressure sucking ear drum into middle ear space
A Pocket forms in area of pars flaccida
Pocket fills with squamous debris that can develop in a cholesteatoma

Question 22

Dicontinuity of the Ossicular Chain

Answer 22

The bones of the chain come undone from one another
Caused by head/TM trauma
Unilateral conductive hearing loss
Can try to repair bones or replace with metal lever

Question 23

Otosclerosis

Answer 23

a lesion of the osseous or bony portion of the inner ear and of the stapedial footplate
New bone and old bone merge and produce a spongy bone

Question 24

Ankylosis

Answer 24

The footplate of stapes wedges itself in position in the oval window reducing movement
Causes conductive hearing loss

Question 25

Stapedectomy

Answer 25

Stapes is replaced with a metal bar

Question 26

Malleus Fixation

Answer 26

Obvious

Question 27

Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

Answer 27

1. Swelling due to allergy/infection
2. Obstruction due to enlarged adenoids/tumor
3. Neurological Disorders
4. Craniofacial Anomalies

Question 28

Patulous Eustachian Tube

Answer 28

abnormally open

Associated with rapid weight loss and neuromuscular diorders

Question 29

Otitis Media

Answer 29

Inflammation of the Middle Ear

Any condition that results in accumulation of fluid in ME

Question 30

Effusion

Answer 30

escape of a fluid into a body space

Question 31

Types of Effusion in MES

Answer 31

Serous: thin watery liquid
Mucoid: Thicker effusion
Suppurative: inflammed and contains infected fluid with pus
Adhesive: includes thickening of the fibrous tissue of the TM

Question 32

Mastoiditis

Answer 32

Middle Ear infection spreads to mastoid bone via the attic portion of the middle ear

Question 33

Duration of Otitis Media

Answer 33

Acute: Sudden presentation of severe ear pain, redness of TM, and fever
Recurrent: 3+ times in 6 months
Chronic: Lasts for longer than 8 weeks
Persistent: Has fluid and lasts 6 weeks or more even after antibiotics