Ear-Middle Flashcards
When looking at the tympanic membrane, always look for what two features?
- Manubrium of malleus
- Cone of light
“The bone and the cone”
A benign tumor near the eardrum. Appears as a white mass behind or on eardrum (tympanic membrane).
Cholesteatoma
Most cholesteatomas are due to _____
Repeated middle ear infections (otitis media)
Common treatment for a cholesteatoma?
Surgical removal (to remove growth and reconstruct damaged ossicles or eardrum)
The leading cause of pediatric visits to the medical doctor?
Otitis media
What are the stipulations for a patient to be considered having CHRONIC otitis media?
3x within 6 months, or 4+ within a year.
Pathophysiology of? Inflammation in the Eustachian tube leads to obstructed drainage of fluids produced in the middle ear - this allows bacteria or viruses that get into middle ear to grow. Eventually, inflammation due to infection causes increased fluid in middle ear to put pressure on the tympanic membrane and it bulges outward. This causes pain, decreased hearing, etc.
Otitis media
What area outside the ear would there be pain in a patient w/otitis media?
Mastoid!
When effusion from the middle ear is occurring, but there aren’t really any other symptoms (or at least they aren’t very significant), it can be referred to as:
Serous otitis media
What does WASP stand for in medical terms?
Wait And See Prescription (wait 48 hours, re-assess)
Scarring of the eardrum secondary to an acute severe MEI, or chronic/recurrent MEI’s
Tympanosclerosis (myringosclerosis)
Otoscopically, tympanosclerosis can look a bit like _____
Cholesteatoma
Most ruptured/perforated eardrum’s heal within __-__ weeks
4-8 weeks
Due to risk of infection, ____ are often prescribed for a perforated eardrum
Antibiotics
Abnormal bone growth of the ossicles (esp. the stapes)
Otosclerosis
Otosclerosis usually occurs where specifically?
On stapes where it connects to oval window
The main symptom of otosclerosis?
Hearing loss (occurs gradually)
Otitis media is more common in ____ (gender), while otosclerosis is more common in _____
Males, females
A common imaging technique used to diagnose otosclerosis?
CT Scan
Treatment of otosclerosis?
Stapedectomy and prosthesis surgery (prosthetic artificial piston made of stainless steel replaces stapes bone)
Sodium fluoride, calcium, and vitamin D supplementation have been found to help slow the progression of ______
Otosclerosis
Injury to the ear from changes in air or water pressure
Barotrauma
The most common cause of barotrauma is blockage or partial blockage of the _______
Eustachian tube
