Ear, Nose and Throat Flashcards
What is Conductive Hearing Loss?
the dysfunction of the External air Middle Ear
What is the etiology of conductive hearing loss?
1 Obstruction : cerumen, otitis externa
2 Middle rare effusion, scarring
3 Otosclerosis: abnl bone formation
What is the Tx for conductive hearing loss?
it is generally correctable with medical or surgical therapy
What is Neural Hearing Loss?
- lesions to the 8th CN or central pathway
- it is the least common type of hearing loss
What is the etiology of neural hearing loss?
- Acoustic nuron : F > M, unilateral
- Multiple Sclerosis
- Cerebrovasular disease
Describe the typical history with Sensorineural hearing loss?
- it is the typical progressive, predominantly high-frequency loss with advanced age
Where is the tuning fork placed with the Weber test?
placed on the forehead
What are the Weber test findings in unilateral conductive losses?
the sound appears loader in the affected ear (poorer hearing)
What are the Weber test findings in unilateral sensorineural losses?
sound radiates louder to the unaffected ear (normal hearing)
Where is the tuning fork placed with the Renne Test?
it is placed on the mastoid bone and then front of the ear canal
What are the Rinne findings with conductive hearing loss?
in bone conduction losses, bone conduction exceeds air conduction
What are the Rinne test findings with Senosrineural hearing loss?
both air conduction and bone conduction are equally depreciated
What are the S/Sx of External Otitis? (swimmers ear)
- Otalgia
- pruritis
- purulent discharge
What is the etiology of External Otitis?
-Pseudomonas (gram neg rods) or fungi
What are the risk factors for External Otitis?
- water exposure
- mechanical trauma
What is the Tx for external otitis?
- antibiotic ear drops, +/- ear wick
- (neoomycin sulfate, polymyxin B sulfate)
What causes Viral Otitis Externa?
usually caused by Varicella Zoster
What is Ransey-Hunt Syndrome?
otitis extern with CN 7 palsy
What are the S/Sx of viral otitis external?
- severe ear pain
- visicles in the external auditory canal or around the ear
What is the Tx for viral otitis externs?
- antivirals
- acyclovir, valcyclovir, famcyclovir
- +/- steroids
What is Malignant External Otitis?
persistent external otitis causing a necrotizing and osteomylitis of the skull base
What are the risk factors for Malignant External Otitis?
diabetics and immunocompromised patients
What is the Tx for Malignant External Otitis?
- prolonged antipseudomonal antibiotics (usually IV)
- +/- surgical debridement
What is Acute Otitis Media?
it is a bacterial infection of the mucosally lined air contained spaces of the temporal bone
What is the etiology of acute otitis media?
-Poor drainage from the eusachian tubes
What are bacteria etiology of acute otitis media?
- streptococcus pneumoniae or pyogenes
- haemophilus influezae
- Morazella catarrhalis
- staphylococcus
What are the S/Sx of acute otitis media?
- otalgia
- aural pressure
- decreasing pressure
- +/- fever
If bullae (blisters) are seen with Acute Oitis Medial, what is the organism causing this?
-Mycoplasma pneumoniae
What are the physical exam findings for acute otitis media?
- immobile eardrum
- red, bulging tympanic membrane
What are the Tx for acute otitis media?
Antibiotics amoxicillin or augmentin cephalosporins erythromycin + sulfonamide Tympanic membrane perforation
tympanic membrane rupture : relieves pain immed.
Tubes (surgery)
What are the organisms that cause Chronic Otitis Media?
- pseudomonas aeruginosa
- proteus species
- staphylococcus aureus
What is the hallmark characteristic of chronic otitis media?
purulant aural discharge
What is the Tx for chronic otitis media?
topical antibiotic ear drops
What is Serous Otitis Media?
inability to aerate the middle ear
What characteristics of serous otitis media?
pain and fever are absent
What are the physical exam findings of serous otitis media?
- fluid is present
- Tm is retracted with bony landmarks preserved
What is the Tx for serous otitis media?
Surgery, tubes are recommended for chronic cases
What is a Cholesteatoma?
a growth of skin cells behind the eardrum that cause damage to the tympanic membrane itself, the bones of the ear, and sometimes to the nerve
What causes a Cholesteatoma?
- is due to a prolonged auditory tube dysfunction, with resultant chronic negative middle ear pressure that draws inward the tympanic membrane
- this area becomes filled with desquamated keratin and becomes chronically infected
What may eventually occur with a cholesteatoma?
may erode bone
What are the complications of Otitis Media?
- masoiditis
- osteomyelitis
- facial paralysis
- central nervous system infection
What are the S/Sx of masoiditis?
post auricular pain and erythema with spiking fever
What is the Tx for mastoiditis?
IV antibiotics or surgery if no improvement
What is the organism responsible for Osteomyelitis in otitis media?
pseudomonas
What is the Tx for Facial Paralysis seen in Otitis media?
IV antibiotics and myringotomy
What organisms are responsible for central nervous infection of otitis media?
Meningitis : H. influenzae and Strep pneumo
What is Vertigo?
a feel in that you or your environment is moving or spinning
Vertigo is a cardinal symptom of abnormality of what system?
the vestibular system
Describe vertigo.
an illusion of movement (usually rotational)
Where is the problem of vertigo located?
anywhere from the vestibular end organs to the temporal bone
Which lesions cause the most systemic upset?
the peripheral lesions
What are the vertigo systemic symptoms that the peripheral lesions cause?
- pallor
- sweating
- nausea
- vomiting
also:
-sudden onset of hearing loss and tinnitus
How long does benign positional vertigo last?
30 min to 12 hours
How long does vestibular neuritis vertigo last?
days to weeks
How long does labryinthitis last?
days to weeks
How long does acoustic neuroma vertigo last?
months
How long does Ototoxicity vertigo last?
months
How long does Multiple Sclerosis vertigo last?
months
How long does Psychogenic vertigo last?
several years
What is the classic syndrome of Meniere’s disease?
- episodic vertigo
- hearing loss
- tinnitis and sensation of aural pressure
What is the etiology of Meniere’s Disease?
- distention of the membranous labrinyh (endolymph pressure)
- syphillis
- head trauma
What are the S/Sx of Meniere’s disease?
- symptoms wax and wane +/- N/V
- low frequency fluctuation hearing loss
What is the Tx for Meniere’s Disease?
-Low-salt diet
-Diuretic
+/- surgery
What is labyrinthitis?
- inflammation
- irritation and swelling of the inner ear (the labyrinth)
Describe the clinical picture of Labyrinthitis?
-acute onset of continuous, usually severe vertigo lasting several days to a week, accompanied by HEARING LOSS AND TINNITIS
What may bring on the transient vertigo of Labyrinthitis?
-unknown but often follows an upper respiratory infection
What is the Tx for Labyrinthitis?
- meclizine
- promethazine
- dimenhydrinate
What is Vestibular Neuronitis?
- a paroxysmal, usually single attack of vertigo occurs without accompanying impairment of auditory function
- no loss of hearing
What is the etiology Vestibular Neuronitits?
probably a viral infection
What are the S/Sx of Vestbular Neuronitis?
- vertigo
- N/V
- lasts days to weeks
What is the Tx for Vestibular Neuronitis?
Tx the symptoms
Describe Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)?
- vertigo symptoms that occur a few seconds after head movements
- this vertigo lasts 10-60 seconds
What is the etiology of Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV)?
-free floating debris within a semicircular canal
What are the symptoms of Benign Paroxysmal Postional Vertigo?
-vertigo with torsional nystagmus
How is BPPV diagnosed?
Epely maneuver
How is BPPV treated?
-Repositional techniques
Hallpike maneuver
Epley maneuver
Nylen-Barany maneuver
What are the Tx for Vertigo?
- antihistamines
- Meclizine (antivert)
- Promethazine
- Scopolamine patch
- Phenothiazine (compazine)
What are the side effects of a Scopolamine patch?
- dry mouth
- blurred vision
- urinary obstruction
What are the 3 types of Nystagmus?
- Downbeat Vertical Nystagmus
- Peripheral Nystagmus
- Central Nystagmus
Is Downbeat Vertical Nystagmus pathologic?
yes, it is pathologic
Describe the eye movement with Peripheral Nystagmus?
move slowly in one direction and then rapidly to midline
What does Multidirectional or vertical nystagmus indicate?
it indicates a brainstem injury
What does nystagmus without vertigo indicate?
it indicates a central lesion
What are the characteristics of Peripheral Nystagmus?
- sudden onset
- fatigue symptoms
- horizontal movement with rotary component
- vertigo is common
- enhanced by loss of visual fixation
- usually temporary
- Also: N/V, tinnitis, and decreased hearing
What are the characteristics of Central Nystagmus?
- slower onset
- no fatique
- Vertical > Horizontal nystagmus
- may not have vertigo
- no change with loss of visual fixation
- may be permanent
What is Barotrauma?
the inability to equalize barometric stress on the middle ear, resulting in pain
What is the etiology of Barotrauma?
auditory tube disfunction
What are the S/Sx of Barotrauma?
most likely to occur during an airplane descent, rapid altitude descent, or underwater diving
What is the Tx for barotrauma?
- frequent swallowing or yawning to auto inflate the tube
- +/-decongestants
What are the complications for barotrauma?
middle ear infection
What is another term for Acoustic Neuroma?
Vestiblular Schwannoma
What is an Acoustic Neuroma or Vestibular Schwannoma?
tumor of the Eighth Cranial Nerve
What type of hearing loss does and Acoustic Neuroma cause?
sensorineural hearing loss
Does an Acoustic Neuroma cause dizziness?
it takes the form of continuous dysequilibrium than episodic vertigo
How does an acoustic neuroma Dx?
MRI
What is the Tx for an acoustic neuroma/Vestibular Schwannoma?
surgery
What are the S/Sx of a Viral Rhinitis?
- watery rhinorrhea, sneezing
- Nasal congestion, headache
- Scratchy throat, general malaise
What are the etiology of Viral Rhinitis?
- rhinoviruses
- adenoviruses
- RSV
What are the PE findings for a Viral Rhinitis?
- reddened, edematous mucosa
- watery discharge
What are the Tx for Viral Rhinitis?
- decongestants
- nasal sprays
- hydration
What is a another name for Allergic Rhinitis?
Hey fever
What is the etiology of allergic rhinitis?
IgE hypersensitivity
Allergic Rhinitis is often associated with what other medical conditions?
- asthma
- eczema
- atopic dermatitis
What are the etiology for allergic rhinitis?
- pollens
- grasses
- ragweed
- dust
What are the S/Sx of allergic rhinitis?
- eye irritation
- erythema
- excessive tearing
- rhinorrhea
- sneezing
- dry cough
What are the PE findings for allergic rhinitis?
-pale and boggy nasal mucosa
+/- polyps