ENT Flashcards
Name the auditory ossicles
Stapes
Incus
Malleus
What is otitis externa?
Acute inflammation of the skin of the auditory meatus
What are the characteristic features of otitis externa?
Discharge, itch, pain (otalgia) and tragal tenderness
What organism is the most common cause of otitis externa?
Pseudomonas
Occasionally staph. aureus
Describe the different clinical entities of otitis externa; mild, moderate and severe
Mild - scaly erythematous skin, no narrowing of the external auditory canal
Moderate - painful ear, narrowing of external auditory canal, cream-white discharge
Severe - occluded external auditory canal
What is auditory furunculosis?
A very painful staphylococcal abscess arising from a hair follicle within the canal often with concurrent pinna cellulitis
What is malignant/necrotising otitis externa?
An aggressive, life-threatening infection of the external ear that can lead to temporal bone mass loss and base of skull osteomyelitis
What organism is the most common cause of malignant/ necrotising otitis externa?
Pseudomonas
What is auditory barotrauma?
Damage to the ear when the Eustachian tube is closed - due to pressure
What is temporomandibular joint dysfunction?
Dysfunction of the temporomandibular leading to facial, ear and mandibular pain
Stress-induced teeth grinding is thought to be the major aetiological factor
What is acute otitis media?
Inflammation of the midlle ear
How does otitis media present?
Rapid onset of otalgia, fever, irritability, nausea and vomiting and anorexia
What organisms are commonly responsible for otitis media?
Pseudomonas, haemophilus and moraxella
What complications may arise following an acute bout of otitis media?
Effusion
Chronic otitis media
What is cholesteatoma?
An abnormal, noncancerous skin growth that can develop in the middle section of your ear, behind the eardrum. It may be a birth defect, but it’s most commonly caused by repeated middle ear infections
What are the classical symptoms indicative of cholesteatoma?
Foul discharge Deafness Headache Pain Facial paralysis and vertigo (may indicate CNS infiltration)
How is cholesteatoma treated?
Mastoid surgery may be needed to remove disease and make the skull safe from potential secondary complications (hearing preservation is a secondary consideration)
What complications can arise from cholesteatoma?
Meningitis, cerebral abscess, facial nerve dysfunction
What is mastoiditis?
Middle ear inflammation leading to air cell destruction in the mastoid bone with/without abscess formation
What are the signs of mastoiditis?
Fever, mastoid tenderness, protruding auricle and erythema
For patients with chronic suppurative otitis media, there are a few surgical options, describe both myringoplasty and mastoidectomy.
Myringoplasty - repair of the tympanic membrane alone
Mastoidectomy (for patients with mastoiditis/cholesteatoma) - mastoid surgery and tympanoplasty (surgical repair of tympanic membrane and ossicles)
What are the most common risk factors for otitis media?
URTI
Bottle-feeding
Passive smoking
Dummy/pacifier use
Explain conductive hearing loss
Impaired sound transmission via the external canal and middle ear ossicles to the foot of the stapes through a variety of causes
List some causes of conductive hearing loss:
External canal obstruction
Drum perforation
Ossicular chain dysfunction
Eustacian tube dysfunction
Explain sensorineural hearing loss
Resulting from defects central to the oval window inthe cochlear (sensory) and chochlear nerve (neural)
List some causes of sensorineural hearing loss:
- Ototoxic drugs (e.g. streptomycin , gentamicin, vancomycine etc.)
- Post-infective (meningitis, measles, flu etc.)
- Cochlear vascular disease
- Multiple scleroisis
What is the range of frequency for normal human hearing?
Between 20-20,000 Hz
Sound frequencies between 250-8000 Hz are most important for speech interpretation
What is presbyacusis?
Age-related bilateral high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss
What is tinnitus?
Perception of sound in the absence of auditory stimuli
What are the two types of tinnitus?
Objective (audible to the examiner) - due to AV malformations, high-output cardiac conditions etc.
Subjective (audible only to the patient) - due to conditions causing sensoroneural hearing loss i.e. Menieres disease
What is an acoustic neuroma?
Indolent and typically benign subarachnoid tumour that causes problems due to direct pressure
Arising most commonly from the superior vestibular nerve schwann cell layer
What symptoms may arise from an acoustic neuroma?
Progressive ipselateral tinnitus +/- sensorineural deafness
Nearby cranial nerves at risk of compression are V, VI, VII with dysfunction resulting in either facial numbness, ocular/facial paralysis respectively
What is vertigo?
Vertigo is a symptom - the sensation of the world moving around you/spinning
What is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo?
Commonest cause of peripheral vertigo. Episodes of sudden vertigo lasting >30s provoked by head-turning
What is the pathophysiology of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo?
Displacement of the otoliths stimulating the semi-circular canals
How is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo diagnosed and treated?
Diagnosis by the Dix-Hallpike manoeuvre
Treatment by vestibular habituation exercises and rarely vestibular nerve resection
What is Meniere’s disease?
Dilatation of the endolymphatic spaces of the membraneous labyrinth causes sudden attacks of vertigo lasting around 2-4hrs
How is Meniere’s disease treated?
Acute management : Prochlorperazine
Prophylaxis: Betahistine
If severe and intractable - labyrinthectomy (causes total ipselateral deafness)
What is acute vestibular failure/vestibular neuronitis?
Sudden attacks of unilateral vertigo and vomiting in a previously well person.
Often following an URTI
How is acute vestibular failure/vestibular neuronitis treated?
Vestibular suppressants - cyclizine and/or prochlorperazine
What symptoms should be screened for in a history regarding the nose?
Nasal obstruction Nasal discharge Epistaxis Facial pain Nasal deformity AnosmiaSneezing
What aspects of past medical history are of importance when discussing the nose?
Medical treatment Nasal surgery Nasal trauma Asthma Aspirin sensitivity
What occupation history may be of particular importance for rhinology?
Woodworkers
What social history may be of particular impotence for rhinology?
Cocaine use (degenerates nasal septum)
What instruments are used in a nasal examination?
Otoscope and endoscope for posterior cavity
What investigations can be carried out when a nasal pathology is suspected?
Bloods (FBC, ANCA in small blood vessel damage, ESR, ACE, RAST)
CT (gold standard)
Skin tests
Nasal smear
Rhinomanometry (not often used - assesses smell) Flexible/rigid nasendoscopy
List some common nasal disorders; Include traumatic, vascular, infectious, malignant and congenital
Nasal trauma Epistaxis (nose bleeds) Rhinosinusitis (very common) Nasal polyps/tumour Choanal atresia - nasal cavity not open in posterior aspect - leads to breathing issues
What is the treatment for nasal trauma?
Rhinoplasty
What is septal haematoma? How can it occur?
Swelling/bruising of the nasal septum. Can occur due to trauma of anterior nasal septum
What is the potential complication for septal haematoma?
If left untreated can become septic (therefore requires draining) Can lead to chronic nasal congestion Can cut off blood supply to cartilage -> necrosis -> saddle-nose deformity
What are the aetiologies of nasal polyps?
Idiopathic Chronic inflammation Autonomic dysfunction Genetic predisposition Allergic vs non-allergic
Nasal polyps are associated with which allergic conditions?
> 20-50% have asthma
8-26% have aspirin intolerance
50% have alcohol intolerance
What conditions may cause secondary polyposis to occur in the nose?
Cystic fibrosis (6-48% have polyps) Allergic fungal sinusitis (85% have polyps) Churg-Strauss syndrome (autoimmune vasculitis)