ear disease Flashcards
what are the 3 types of hearing loss?
- conductive
- sensorineural
- mixed
what type of hearing loss does otitis external lead to?
conductive hearing loss
what is otitis externa?
Inflammation of the skin of the ear canal
what causes otitis external?
- almost always infective
- may be bacterial or fungal
- water
- cotton buds
- associated with skin conditions such as psoriasis and dermatitis
what type of hearing loss is OME?
conductive hearing loss
what type of hearing loss is cholesteatoma?
conductive hearing loss
what type of hearing loss is perforations of TM?
conductive hearing loss
what are some causes of perforation of TM>
- most commonly due to acute otitis media
- may also occur due to trauma or surgery such as Grommets
what is cholesteatoma?
- an abnormal collection of skin inside your ear due to abnormal keratin production usually from chronic otitis media and perforated tympanic membrane
- can be acquired or congenital
what causes cholesteatoma?
-can be acquired or congenital
Acquired (more common)= chronic otitis media and perforated ear drum causing build up of skin inside ear
Congenital
what can occur if acute otitis media or cholesteatoma speeds medially?
If spread medially may lead to sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo or facial palsy
what can occur if acute otitis media or cholesteatoma spread superiorly?
If spread superiorly may cause brain abscess or meningitis
what can occur if acute otitis media or cholesteatoma spread posteriorly?
If spread posteriorly may cause venous sinus thrombosis
how does otosclerosis present?
-gradual conductive hearing loss
who is otosclerosis more commonly seen in?
- women
- progresses more rapidly when pregnant
- it is thought that there is a connection with oestrogen levels and otosclerosis
what is the treatment for otosclerosis?
- hearing aids are first line
- stapedectomy (surgery)
what is the most common cause of sensorineural hearing loss?
-presbycusis
what frequency do patients with presbycusis struggle to hear?
high
how does noise induced hearing loss typically present on an audiogram?
-there is a classic dip usually at 4kHz
what do the triangles represent on an audiogram?
-unmasked bone conduction
what do circles stand for on audiogram?
-air conduction on right
what do the crosses stand for on audiogram?
-air conduction on the left ear
how would presbycusis present on an audiogram?
- hearing would be borderline in low frequencies and slopes off in high frequencies
- can tell it is sensorineural as there is no gap between bone conduction test and air conduction test
what drugs are well known to causes sensorineural hearing loss?
- gentamycin and other aminoglycosides
- chemotherapy drugs (cisplatin, vincristine)
- aspiring and NSAIDs (in overdose)
what is a vestibular shwannoma?
benign tumour arising in internal meatus
how does a vestibular shwannoma present?
usually only affects one sifde
- hearing loss
- tinnitus
- imbalance
what tests are done for vestibular schwannoma?
MRI scan
what type of hearing loss can trauma cause?
sensourineural or mixed hearing loss
what type of hearing loss may a skull fracture cause?
- conductive (through damage to ossicles, blood within middle ear or perforation of the drum)
- fracture of inner ear may cause a sensorineural hearing loss
- can be mixed
can also cause facial palsy or CSF leak!!
