Ears, Nose, Throat Flashcards
Why can a haematoma cause AVN?
Perichondrium supplies nutrients to the cartilage. Disruption due to blood accumulation between these two layers causes AVN
What are the common causes of tympanic membrane perforation?
Infection
Barotrauma
Direct trauma
What are features of tympanic membrane perforation?
Pain, possible conductive hearing loss, increased risk of otitis media
Management of tympanic membrane perforation?
Watch and wait - usually heal within 6-8 weeks.
Don’t get water into ear during this time.
Prescribe abx if perforation follows acute otitis media.
If hasn’t healed after 6 months - myringoplasty.
Causes of otitis externa?
Infection - staph aureus, pseudomonas or fungal. Sebrrhoeic dermatitis Contact dermatitis (allergic and irritant)
Features of otitis externa?
Ear pain, itch, discharge
Otoscopy - red, swollen, or eczematous canal.
Initial management of otitis externa?
Topical abx or combined topical abx with steroid.
AVOID aminogylcosides.
If canal debris present, consider removal
If canal extensively swollen then ear wick sometimes inserted.
Second line management of otitis externa?
Consider contact dermatitis secondary to neomycin.
Oral abx (flucloxacillin) if infection is spreading.
Take swab inside ear canal.
Empirical use of anti fungal agent.
If still fails - refer to ENT.
Features of malignant otitis externa?
Found in immunocompromised - eg DM.
Most commonly pseudomonas aeruginosa.
Spreads from soft tissue of external auditory meatus to involve soft tissues and into bony ear canal.
Can progress to osteomyelitis.
Severe, unrelenting, deep-seated otalgia.
Temporal headaches.
Purulent otorrhoea
Dysphagia, hoarseness, and/or facial nerve dysfunction
How to diagnose malignant otitis externa?
CT scan
Treatment of malignant otitis externa?
Non-resolving with worsening pain referred to ENT urgently.
IV abx eg ceftazidime.
What are the muscles of the middle ear that are involved in preventing hyperacusis?
Tensor tympani - branch of mandibular nerve
Stapedius muscle - facial nerve
What are retraction pockets?
Sucked in areas of TM, caused by negative pressure and ET dysfunction.
Most commonly in pars flaccida or attic region.
If deep enough, collects keratinus debris from squamous epithelial cells of TM and ear canal skin - can lead to cholesteatoma.
Features of acute otitis media including causes?
Most common in children
Causes - strep pneumonia, H. influenza, moraxella, viral.
Ear pain, ear pulling, discharge if TM ruptures. Pain settles with discharge.
Fever
Otoscopy - hyperaemia, suppuration and bulging ear drum.
Management of acute otitis media?
Conservative
Oral abx (amoxicillin for 5 days/clarithromycin or erythromycin) if:
- symptoms lasting more than 4 days or not improving
- systemically unwell but not requiring admission
- immunocompromised or high risk of complications secondary to significant heart, lung, kidney, liver or neuromuscular disease.
- <2 years of age with bilateral otitis media
- otitis media with perforation and/or discharge in canal.
Surgical - recurrent AOM helped with grommet insertion.
Features of glue ear?
Otitis media with effusion.
Peaks at 2 years of age.
Conductive hearing loss is usually the presenting feature.
Painless, but if infected leads to acute OM which is painful.
Can have speech delay at school.
Otoscopy - dull grey TM, may look retracted.
Investigations of glue ear?
Tympanogram - flat type B
Pure tone audiogram - conductive hearing loss.
Management of glue ear?
Conservative - settle in 3 months.
Hearing aid.
Surgery - grommets and possible adenoidectomy.
What are the subdivisions of chronic otitis media? And the features of each?
Subdivided into squamous and mucosal disease. And active or inactive depending on if there is discharge or not.
Squamous:
Active - cholesteatoma (pars flaccida perforation.
Inactive - retraction pocket which may develop into cholesteatoma.
Mucosal:
Active - chronic discharge from middle ear through TM perforation.
Inactive - TM perforation but not active infection/discharge
Mucosal develops as consequence of AOM where there is TM rupture and failure to heal.
Management of chronic otitis media
If cholesteatoma present - radical mastoidectomy
If cholesteatoma not present - topical abx and aural toilet. If ineffective, surgery to repair perforation and ensure good ventilation of middle ear and mastoid bone.
What are the risks of mastoid surgery?
Facial nerve palsy
Altered taste from damage to chorda tympani
CSF leak
Tinnitus
Vertigo
Complete loss of hearing in operated ear.
What is cholesteatoma?
Non-cancerous growth of squamous epithelium trapped within skull base causing local destruction.
Peaks at age 10-20.
Being born with cleft palate increases risk 100 fold.
Features of cholesteatoma?
Foul-smelling, non-resolving discharge.
Hearing loss.
Local invasion -> CNS complications -> vertigo, facial nerve palsy, cerebellopontine angle syndrome.
Otoscopy - attic crust.
Investigations of cholesteatoma?
Pure tone audiogram - conductive hearing loss.
Microbiology - often pseudomonas.
Fine-cut CT scan of temporal bones.
MRI
Management of cholesteatoma?
Early disease - topical abx and micro suction of debris from retraction pockets.
Radical mastoidectomy.
What are the complications of cholesteatoma?
Meningitis Cerebral abscess Hearing loss Mastoiditis Facial nerve dysfunction
Features of mastoiditis?
Middle ear inflammation leads to air cell destruction in mastoid +/- abscess formation.
Otalgia - severe, behind ear
History of recurrent otitis media
Fever
Patient typically very unwell
Swelling, erythema, tenderness over mastoid process
External ear may protrude forwards
Ear discharge may present if eardrum has perforated.
Investigations and management of mastoiditis?
CT scan
Admit for IV abx, myringectomy +/- mastoidectomy.
What is otosclerosis?
Replacement of normal bone by vascular spongy bone.
Progressive conductive deafness due to fixation of stapes at oval window.
Autosomal dominant and typically affects young adults (20-40 years).
Features of otosclerosis?
Conductive deafness.
Tinnitus
Normal tympanic membrane
Positive family history
10% patients have flamingo tinge, caused by hyperaemia
Management of otosclerosis?
Conservative - hearing aid.
Surgery - stapedectomy.
Central causes of vertigo?
Stroke Migraine Neoplasms MS Drugs - eg gentamicin Vertebrobasilar ischaemia
Peripheral causes of vertigo?
Menieres BPPV Vestibular neuronitis Viral labyrinthitis Acoustic neuroma
What causes BPPV?
Otoliths (crystals) in semicircular canals causing abnormal stimulation of hair cells giving hallucination of movement.
Features of BPPV?
Sudden onset dizziness and vertigo triggered by changes in head position (eg rolling over in bed or gazing upwards)
Associated with nausea
Each episode lasts 10-20 seconds
Positive Dix-Hallpike Manoeuvre
Management of BPPV?
Symptomatic relief:
- Epley manoeuvre - successful in 80% of cases
- exercises at home - Brandt-Daroff exercises.
Betahistine medication.
50% of BPPV patients have recurrence of symptoms 3-5 years after diagnosis.
What is vestibular neuronitis and what are the features?
Inflammation of inner ear following viral infection commonly.
Recurrent vertigo attacks lasting hours or days
Nausea and vomiting may be present
Horizontal nystagmus usually present
NO HEARING LOSS OR TINNITUS
Management of vestibular neuronitis?
Vestibular rehab exercises are preferred treatment for patients who experience chronic symptoms.
Buccal or IM prochlorperazine for severe cases.
Short oral course of prochlorperazine or anti-histamine to alleviate less severe cases.
What causes Meniere’s disease?
Excessive pressure and progressive dilation of end-lymphatic system.
More common in middle-aged adults.
M = F
Features of Meniere’s disease?
Recurrent episodes of vertigo, tinnitus and sensorineural hearing loss. Sensation of aural fullness or pressure. Nystagmus and positive Romberg test Episodes last minutes to hours. Typically symptoms are unilateral.
Symptoms resolve after 5-10 years.
Patients left with degree of hearing loss.
Psychological distress common.
Management of Meniere’s disease?
Inform DVLA - cease driving until control of symptoms.
Dietary - reduce salt, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, chinese food.
Acute attacks - buccal or IM prochlorperazine. May need admission.
Prevention - betahistine and vestibular rehab exercises.
Surgical - grommets, dexamethasone middle ear injections, end-lymphatic sac decompression, vestibular destruction using middle ear injection of gentamicin. Surgery labyrinthectomy.
What causes acoustic neuroma?
Cerebellopontine angle tumours
Features of acoustic neuroma?
Vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus, absent corneal reflex.
CN 8 - vertigo, unilateral SNHL, unilateral tinnitus
CN 5 - absent corneal reflex
CN 7 - facial palsy
Bilateral in neurofibromatosis type 2.
Investigations and management of acoustic neuroma?
MRI cerebellopontine angle.
Audiometry - 5% will have normal audiogram.
Stereotactic radio surgery or observation if not fit for surgery.
Features of viral labyrinthitis?
Disorder of membranous labyrinth, affecting both vestibular and cochlear end organs. Can be viral, bacterial or systemic disease. Viral most common.
Vertigo N + V Hearing loss: may be unilateral or bilateral, with varying severity Tinnitus Preceding or concurrent symptoms or URTI
Investigations and management of viral labyrinthitis?
History and examination.
Check glucose to exclude hypoglycaemia.
Vestibular suppressants - diazepam
Anti-emetics - promethiazine, metoclopramide, prochlorperazine.
Prednisolone for SNHL.
Causes of presbycusis?
SNHL affecting elderly.
High-frequency hearing affected bilaterally.
Slow progression, sensory hair cells and neutrons in cochlea atrophy over time.
Features of presbycusis?
Speech becoming difficult to understand Need for increased volume on TV or radio Difficulty using phone Loss of directionality of sound Worsening symptoms in noisy environments Hyperacusis to certain frequencies - uncommon Tinnitus - uncommon
Investigations and management of presbycusis?
Otoscopy - normal
Tympanometry - normal type A
Audiometry - bilateral SNHL
Blood tests - normal
Hearing aids
Sudden onset SNHL investigations and management?
Pure tone audiogram
MRI scan - exclude acoustic neuroma
Prednisolone 80mg/24 hours PO for 4 days tapered over 8 days.
Anti-virals
Hyperbaric oxygen, carbogen.
What is normal on pure tone audiogram?
Anything above 20dB on graph.
What does conductive hearing loss and SNHL look like on pure tone audiogram?
CHL - normal bone conduct and reduced air conduction - air-bone gap
SNHL - reduced bone and air conduction thresholds - no air-bone gap.
What types of tympanogram results are there? What causes each one?
Type A - normal, peaks at 0dPa
Type B - flat line. Suggests effusion or perforation. Differentiate by calculating ear canal volume. Normal volume is 1 cm3.
Type C - line peaks less than 0 dPa (negative pressure). Suggests ET dysfunction
Causes of epistaxis?
Local - traumatic, idiopathic, iatrogenic, FB, inflammatory neoplastic.
Systemic - HTN, coagulopathies, vasculopathies, ITP, hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia.
Initial management of epistaxis?
ABCDE
Ask patient to pinch soft part of nose for 20 minutes. Breathe through mouth, head forward and spit out any blood in mouth.
Locate source of bleeding (anterior or posterior)
If initial management of epistaxis doesn’t work what is the next step?
Place ice pack on dorm of nose.
Cautery or packing.
Cautery -
- If source of bleed visible and cautery tolerated.
- topical local anaesthetic spray and wait 3-4 minutes for it to take effect.
- identify bleeding point and apply silver nitrate stick for 3-10 seconds until becomes grey-white. Then apply Naseptin.
Packing -
- Local anaesthetic spray and wait 3-4 minutes.
- Pack nose while sitting with head forward.
- Pressure on cartilage around nostril can cause cosmetic changes so should be reviewed after inserting pack.
- Examine mouth and throat for any continuing bleeding and consider packing other nostril as this increases pressure on septum and offending vessel.
If packing fails in epistaxis management what is next step?
Surgery -
- ligate vessels surgically or embolise radiologically - sphenopalatine artery.
DO NOT embolise anterior ethmoid as it comes from ICA.
External carotid is last resort.