ENT Flashcards
2 types of hearing loss
- Conductive : problem with sound travelling from environment to inner ear
- Sensorineural : problem with sensory system or vestibulocochlear nerve in the inner ear
Causes of sensorineural hearing loss
-> Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (over less than 72 hours)
-> Presbycusis (age-related)
-> Noise exposure
-> Ménière’s disease
-> Labyrinthitis
-> Acoustic neuroma
-> Neurological conditions (e.g., stroke, multiple sclerosis or brain tumours)
-> Infections (e.g., meningitis)
-> Medications
what medications can cause hearing loss ?
~ Loop diuretics - rare (e.g., furosemide)
~ Aminoglycoside antibiotics (e.g., gentamicin)
~ Chemotherapy drugs (e.g., cisplatin)
Causes of adult onset conductive hearing loss
- Ear wax (or something else blocking the canal)
- Infection (e.g., otitis media or otitis externa)
- Fluid in the middle ear (effusion)
- Eustachian tube dysfunction
- Perforated tympanic membrane
- Otosclerosis
- Cholesteatoma
- Exostoses
- Tumours
what is presbycusis and what kind of hearing loss is it
- Age related hearing loss
- Sensorineural
Explain the type of hearing loss in presbycusis
- High-pitched sounds first and more notably than lower pitched sounds
- Occurs gradually and symmetrically
8 RF for Presbycusis
Increased Age (biggest)
Male gender
Family history
Loud noise exposure (Key RF!)
Diabetes
Hypertension
Ototoxic medications
Smoking
Explain the presentation of presbycusis
- Gradual and insidious
- Speech difficult to hear due to it affecting HIGH pitched sounds more
- May be associated with tinnitus
How is presbycusis diagnosed 3 steps to management
- Audiometry = sensorineural hearing loss pattern with normal or near normal hearing at lower frequencies an worsenign hearing loss at higher frequencies
- Optimise the environment, hearing aids, cochlear implants
Definition of sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL)
Hearing loss over less than 72 hours
Most common cause of SSNHL
Idiopathic (90%)
Diagnosis of SSNHL
- Loss of at least 30 decibels in 3 consecutive frequencies on an audiogram
Management of SSNHL GP and then ENT management if idiopathic
- Immediate referral to ENT within 24 hours
- No underlying cause = high dose oral pred 7 days
- Reduced or altered hearing
- Popping noises or sensations in the ear
- A fullness sensation in the ear
- Pain or discomfort
- Tinnitus
- SX worse when external air pressure changes
Diagnosis and 3 common causes
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
- Viral URTI
- Allergies (e.g. hayfever)
- Smoking
what would be seen on tympanometry in eustachian tube dysfunction
- The air pressure in the middle ear may be lower than the ambient air pressure because new air cannot get through the tympanic membrane to equalise pressures
- As a result = tympanogram will show peak admittance with negative ear canal pressures
Treatment options for Eustachian tube dysfunction and the main procedure
- Valsalva manoeuvre
- Decongestant nasal sprays (short term only)
- Antihistamines and a steroid nasal spray for allergies or rhinitis
- Surgery may be required in severe or persistent cases
3 main surgical options for Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
- Treating any other pathology that might be causing symptoms, for example, adenoidectomy (removal of the adenoids)
- Grommets
- Balloon dilatation Eustachian tuboplasty
Define otosclerosis and the
Remodelling of the small bones in the middle ear, leading to conductive hearing loss
How is ostosclerosis inherited and when does it usually present ?
- AD
- Before the age of 40
- Can be precipitated by pregnancy in those with genetic predisposition
Typical presentation of otosclerosis
- <40 yrs
- Unilateral or bilateral hearing loss, tinnitus
What kind of hearing loss is seen in otosclerosis
- Conductive
- Affects lower pitched sound more than higher.
- Hears female speech more easily than males.
- Hears voices loud in comparison to environment leading them to talk quietly
what will be seen on examination in otosclerosis
- Otoscopy = normal
- Weber’s = normal if bilateral OR louder in more affected ear.
- Rinne’s = conductive hearing loss. Sound will be easily heard when on mastoid but they will not hear the sound in air
Initial investigation of choice for diagnosing otosclerosis and what will it show ?
- Audiometry = conductive hearing loss
- Bone conduction readings will be normal (0-20 dB)
- Air conduction readings will be greater than 20 dB, plotted below the 20 dB line
What will be seen on tympanometry and high resolution CT in otosclerosis
-> Tympanometry = reduced admittance of sound.
-> High resolution CT = detect the boney changes
Management options for otosclerosis
- Conservative = hearing aids
- Surgical (stapedectomy and stapedotomy)
Explain the two surgical options used in otosclerosis
-> Stapectomy = remove stapes bones and replacing with prosthesis
-> Stapedotomy = removing part of stapes bone but leaving footplate.
What is otitis media
Infection in the middle ear
Most common bacterial causes of otitis media
Streptococcus pneumoniae
Presentation of otitis media
- Ear pain
- Reducing hearing
- Generally unwell (e.g. fever)
- URTI (cough, coryzal Sx and sore throat)
What is seen on examination in otitis media
Bulging, red and inflammed tympanic membrane (is normally “pearly grey”
Complications of otitis media
- Otitis media with effusion
- Hearing loss (usually temporary)
- Perforated tympanic membrane (with pain, reduced hearing and discharge)
- Labyrinthitis (causing dizziness or vertigo)
- Mastoiditis (rare)
- Abscess (rare)
- Facial nerve palsy (rare)
- Meningitis (rare)
When are antibiotics given for otitis media and what is given
- Sx >4 days
- Systemically unwell
- Immunocomprimised
- <2 yrs with bilateral otitis media
- Otitis media with perforation and / discharge
- Amoxacillin 5-7 days (Erythromycin / clarithromycin if allergic)
Define otitis externa
- Inflammation of the skin in the external ear canal
- “Swimmer’s ear”
2 most common bacterial causes of otitis externa
-> Pseudomonas aeruginosa : gram negative aerobic rod
-> Staphylococcus aureus
Presentation of otitis externa
- Ear pain
- Discharge
- Itchiness
- Conductive hearing loss (if the ear becomes blocked)
what is seen on examination in otitis externa
~ Erythema and swelling in the ear canal
~ Tenderness of the ear canal
~ Pus or discharge in the ear canal
~ Lymphadenopathy (swollen lymph nodes) in the neck or around the ear
Management of otitis externa
-> MIild : over the counter acetic acid 2%
-> Moderate : topical antibiotic and steroid
->Severe : oral flucloxacillin or clarithromycin
what is malignant otitis externa
- Severe and life threatening form of otitis externa
- Infection spreads to bone surrounding the ear canal and skull
- Can cause osteomyelitis of the temporal bone
- Happens in elderly diabetics
Give 3 underlying RF for malignant otitis externa
- Diabetes
- Immunosuppressant medications (e.g., chemotherapy)
- HIV
what is a key finding in malignant otitis externa
Granulation tissue at the junction between the bone and cartilage in the ear canal
Management of malignant otitis externa
- Admission to hospital under the ENT team
-IV antibiotics - Imaging (e.g., CT or MRI head) to assess the extent of the infection
5 complications of otitis externa
- Facial nerve damage and palsy
- Other cranial nerve involvement (e.g., glossopharyngeal, vagus or accessory nerves)
- Meningitis
- Intracranial thrombosis
- Death
3 main methods for removing ear wax (medical term = cerumen)
-> Ear drops – usually olive oil or sodium bicarbonate 5%
-> Ear irrigation – squirting water in the ears to clean away the wax
-> Microsuction – using a tiny suction device to suck out the wax
9 causes of secondary tinnitus
- Impacted ear wax
- Ear infection
- Ménière’s disease
- Noise exposure
- Medications (e.g., loop diuretics, gentamicin and chemotherapy drugs such as cisplatin)
- Acoustic neuroma
7.Multiple sclerosis - Trauma
- Depression
4 systemic conditions associated with tinnitus
Anaemia
Diabetes
Hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism
Hyperlipidaemia
what 2 kinds of problems can cause vertigo
-> Peripheral problem, usually affecting the vestibular system
-> Central problem, usually involving the brainstem or the cerebellum
4 most common vestibular causes of vertigo
Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
Ménière’s disease
Vestibular neuronitis
Labyrinthitis
4 central problems that can cause vertig0
- Any pathology affecting the cerebellum or brainstem disrupts signals from the vestibular system and causes vertigo.
Posterior circulation infarction (stroke)
Tumour
Multiple sclerosis
Vestibular migraine
what 5 symptoms suggest a peripheral cause of vertigo
- Onset : sudden
- Duration : short
- Hearing loss or tinnitus : often present (except BPPV)
- Co-ordination : intact
- Nausea : more severe
what 5 symptoms suggest a central cause of vertigo
- Onset : gradual (except stroke)
- Duration : persistent
- Hearing loss or tinnitus : usually not
- Co-ordination : impaired
- Nausea : mild
what examination can be used to distinguish between central and peripheral vertigo ? specifically vestibular neuronitis from posterior circulation stroke
HINTS examation
-HI : Head Impulse
- N : Nystagmus
- TS : Test and Skew
How does Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo present ?
- Recurrent episodes of vertigo triggered by head movements (typically rolling over, gazing upwards)
Cause of BPPV
- Crystals of calcium carbonate (Otoconia) that becomes displaced into the semicircular canals
How is BPPV diagnosed
- Dix-Hallpix manoeuvre
- Rapidly lower pt to supine poition with an extend neck
- Will recreate symptoms / cause rotatory nystagmus
Management of BPPV and what medication can be provided ?
- Epley manoeuvre
- Betahistine
What is vestibular neuronitis
- Inflammation of the vestibular nerve, usually caused by a viral infection
Presentation of vestibular neuronitis
- Acute onset of vertigo
- Recent history of viral URTI
- Often associated with N&V and balance problems
- Horizontal nystagmus often present
- No hearing loss or tinnitus
which peripheral causes pf vertigo are associated with hearing loss or vertigo ?
- Labyrinthitis or Meniere’s
Neuronitis = NO hearing loss
what test can be used to diagnose of peripheral cause of vertigo ?
Head impulse test
- Patient sits upright and fixes gaze on examiners nose
- Rapidly jerk head 10-20 degrees in one direction before slowly returning to centre and repeating in opposite direction.
- Abnormal vestibular functioning = eyes will saccade (rapidly move back and forth) before fixing back on examiner
Short term management options for vertigo symptoms of vestivular neuronitis
-> Prochlorperazine
-> Antihistamines (e.g., cyclizine, cinnarizine and promethazine)
-> Used for up to 3 days
what is labyrinthitis ?
- Inflammation of the bony labyrinth of the inner ear, including semicircular canals, vestibule and cochlea
- Usually cause by viral URTI
Presentation of labyrinthitis
- Acute onset vertigo NOT triggered by head movements but axacerbated by them
- Hearing loss
- Tinnitus
- N&V
Management of labyrinthitis
Short term use of prochlorperazine or antihistamines to treat the symtpoms
what can labyrinthitis rarely be caused by
Bacterial infection, secondary to otitis media or meningitis
what is meniere’s disease and the traid of symptoms
- Excessive build up of endolymph in the labyrinth of inner ear
- Causing recurrent attacks of vertigo and symptoms of hearing loss and tinnitus
Typical presentation of Meniere’s disease
- 40-50 yr old pt
- Unilateral episodes or vertigo, hearing loss and tinnitus
Explain the vertigo seen in Meniere’s disease
- Comes in episodes
- Lasts 20 mins to several hours before settling
- Episodes occur in clusters over several weeks, followed by prolonged periods without vertigo
- The vertigo is not triggered by movement or posture