Ear disorders Flashcards
Sense of fullness, popping/crackling, retraction of tympanic membrane
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Fluid in the middle ear space following AOM, TM retracted and nonmobile
Otitis media with Effusion (OME)
Dysfunction resulting from negative pressure in the middle ear space
Eustachian Tube Diseases
Family HO HL, skipped generations, “cookie-bite” form
Hereditary SNHL
Bilateral fluctuating hearing loss
Autoimmune SNHL
Decrease in hearing, pain, child playing with beads
Foreign Body
Recurrent painful erythema/edema affecting cartilage of ear and tracheobronchial
Relapsing polychondritis
Sudden pain, quickly relieved, temporary hearing loss
Tympanic Membrane Perforation
Pain, decrease in hearing, dizziness, q-tip and earplug use
Cerumen impaction
Tenderness on mastoid/temporal bone, forward displacement of Pinna
Mastoiditis
Extreme itching of external auditory canal
Pruritus
Rapid shifts in barometric pressure, ear pain, dizzy, feeling of fullness
Barotrauma
Age-related, symmetric high-frequency SNHL, tinnitus, loss of clarity (background noise), normal exam
Presbycusis
Prolonged exposure to sounds exceeding 85 dB, loss of high frequency
Noise Trauma SNHL
Bony overgrowths in ear canal, exposure to cold water from surfing
Exostoses
A problem or obstruction conducting sound waves anywhere along the route through the outer ear, tympanic membrane (eardrum), or middle ear (ossicles)
Conductive Hearing Loss
Ringing, buzzing, sounds with hearing loss, worse in quiet environments, hyperacusis (super sensitive to sounds)
Tinnitus
Water exposure, otalgia, pruritus, purulent discharge, pain during manual manipulation of auricle, red TM
Otitis Externa
Young bottle-fed child in daycare, flu season, ear pain, fever, fussy, red tympanic, MIDDLE EAR EFFUSION (fluid)
Acute otitis media (AOM)
Congenital Auricle Malformations
REFER Early! Associated with kidney abnormalities
Adult caucasian with FH, progressive bilateral asymmetric CHL, + Weber and Rinne on affected side
Ostosclerosis
Dysfxn of sensory or neural components of auditory system
Sensorineural Hearing Loss
Rapid onset HL upon awakening, following viral infection, tinnitus, dizzy, normal exam
Sudden SNHL - REFER
An 18-month-old toddler presents with 1 week of rhinorrhea, cough, and congestion. Her parents report she is irritable, sleeping restlessly, and not eating well. Overnight she developed a fever. She attends day care and both parents smoke. On examination signs are found consistent with a viral respiratory infection including rhinorrhea and congestion. The toddler appears irritable and apprehensive and has a fever. Otoscopy reveals a bulging, erythematous tympanic membrane and absent landmarks.
Otitis Media
A 35-year-old man presents with a 2-day history of rapid-onset severe ear pain and fullness. The patient complains of otorrhea and mild decreased hearing. He reports that his symptoms started after swimming. No fever is reported. On physical exam the external ear canal is diffusely swollen and erythematous. He has tenderness of the tragus and pain with movement of the auricle. The tympanic membrane was partially visualized due to the swelling. The concha and the pinna look normal. Neck exam fails to reveal any lymphadenopathy.
Otitis Externa
A 3-year-old girl presents with recurrent acute otitis media, refractory to antibiotics. She has been noted to have a mild conductive hearing loss and flat tympanograms on audiometric assessment. A serous effusion is present bilaterally on otoscopic exam.
Eustachian Tube Dysfxn
A 40-year-old woman presents with a 1-year history of recurrent episodes of vertigo. The vertigo spells are described as a sensation of the room spinning that lasts from 20 minutes to a few hours and may be associated with nausea and vomiting. The spells are incapacitating and are accompanied by dizziness, vertigo, and disequilibrium, which may last for days. No loss of consciousness is reported. The patient also reports aural fullness, tinnitus, and hearing loss in the right ear that is more pronounced around the time of her vertigo spells. Physical exam of the head and neck is normal. A horizontal nystagmus is noted. She is unable to maintain her position during Romberg testing or Fukuda stepping test. She turns toward the right side and she is unable to walk tandem. Her cerebellar function tests are normal.
Meniere’s Disease
