ENT Flashcards
Blood supply to the nasal cavity (what makes up Little’s area)
Main: sphenopalatine artery (from carotid)
Others: superior labial, anterior ethmoid
Local causes of epistaxis
Trauma - Little’s area, base of skull #
Vascular nipple - mucosal arteriovenous malformation
Neoplasm - NPC, SCC, JNA
Carotid blowout - NPC post RT
Systemic causes of epistaxis
coagulopathies
hereditary haemorrhagic telangiectasia
idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura
Characteristic of bleeding in NPC
Usually blood stained oral secretions
Blood form tumour gravitate towards pharynx -> appear in saliva
What is carotid blowout
NPC treated with radiotherapy - erosion of protective bone around carotids
Dry air from nasal cavity weakens carotid artery wall -> massive haemorrhage
Adolescent male, epistaxis, persistent blocked nose. Diagnosis?
Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma
- very vascular and invasive tumour, does not metastasise
Epistaxis tx (1st, 2nd, 3rd line)
1st:
- epistaxis first aid, silver nitrate cautery (at GP)
2nd line (ENT)
- electrocautery
- anterior packing (merocel, bismuth iodine paraffin paste)
- posterior packing
3rd line (ENT):
- ligation of ethmoidal arteries if ICA bleed
- embolisation if ECA bleed
Complication of silver nitrate cautery
Lack of judicious cautery -> devascularise nasal septal cartilage -> avascular necrosis -> saddle nose deformity
Complications of nasal trauma
- Septal haematoma
- CSF rhinorrhea
- Nasal obstruction
- cosmetic deformities
What is septal haematoma
Blood collects under nasal septum due to rupture of capillaries in nasal septum -> separation of perichondrium from cartilaginous portion
- cx: infection (abscess), devascularisation of cartilage (saddle nose deformity)
EMERGENCY that requires I&D
CSF rhinorrhea caused by ____. ___ sign seen in CSF rhinorrhea. describe the sign.
base of skull #
halo sign
clear fluid outer ring (CSF) and red inner ring (blood)
How to manage nasal # acutely
Ix:
- nasal endoscopy
- CT TRO BOF #
- nasal XR for medicolegal
Reassess in 3-5 days after swelling goes down
M&R within 14 days under GA
Residual deformity after nasal fracture M&R. Management?
Septorhinoplasty (nose job)
Done 6-9 months after injury
Bones involved in tripod fracture
zygomaticomaxillary complex fracture
- zygomatic arch
- zygomaticofrontal suture
- inferior orbital rim
Features of anterior BOS #
- racoon eyes (haematoma around eyes)
- CSF rhinorrhea
- CN: I, V, VI, VII, VIII
Features of posterior BOS #
- battle sign (haematoma behind ear)
- haemotympanum
- CSF otorrhea
- CN: VI, VIII, VIII
What structures make up internal nasal valve
- nasal septum
- inferior turbinate
- junction between lower and upper lateral cartilage
area of largest resistance to nasal air flow, if narrowed, can cause perception of nasal obstruction
Anatomic causes of nasal obstruction
- deviated nasal septum
- adenoid hypertrophy
- inferior turbinate hypertrophy
Inflammatory causes of nasal obstruction
a) Acute rhinosinusitis
- infection
- AR
- rhinitis medicamentosa
b) chronic rhinosinusitis
- chronic RNS with/without polyp
- systemic: Wegener’s granulomatosis (blood vessel inflammation)
c) others
- foreign body
- tumours
What is rhinitis medicamentosa
overuse of topical decongestants causing rebound nasal congestion (vasodilation) once stopped
Allergic rhinitis is a ___ mediated inflammation (Type __ hypersensitivity)
IgE, type I
Definitive diagnosis of AR
1) Skin prick
- allergens pricked into skin, check for wheal >= 3mm
2) serum specific IgE ab
management of AR
1) allergen avoidance - wash linens in hot water 60deg to kill HDM
- anti dustmite pillow cases
2) Pharmacotherapy
- oral antihistamine, intranasal steroids
- combined topical nasal antihistamine-steroids
3) immunotherapy
- increase exposure of allergens in pt until sx relieved
- only tx that arrests allergic march
- 3-5 years of subcutaneous/sublingual tx
4) surgical
- radiofrequency ablation of inferior turbinates
- inferior turbinate reduction
Disease progression in atopic march
eczema -> food allergy -> allergic rhinitis -> asthma
Features of AR
rhinorrhea, nasal obstruction, sneezing, itchy eye/nose
- allergic shiners
- allergic salute
- Dennie’s lines: wrinkles along lower eyelids
- pale and oedematous nasal mucosa, inferior turbinates
Cx of perichondritis
Subperichondrial abscess -> devascularise cartilage -> avascular necrosis -> cauliflower ear, cosmetic deformity
Organisms that cause otitis externa
Bacterial: P.aeruginosa, S.aureus
Fungal: candida (white), aspergillus (black)
Viral: ramsay-hunt (VZV)
What causes necrotising otitis externa? Symptoms?
rapid spread of infection by p.aeruginosa, causes osteomyelitis of bony external ear -> skull base
presents with excessive otalgia out of proportion, interferes with sleep and function
can affect cranial nerves as it spreads along skull base
Common organisms in acute otitis media
H.influenzae
Strep pneumoniae
Moraxella catarrhalis
Anaerobes (mouth organisms)
___ is usually not perforated in acute OM. Once perforated, becomes ___.
Tympanic membrane
Chronic OM
What is chronic suppurative otitis media
repeated bouts of AOM -> non-healing perforation
dry CSOM: perforated but not infected, no purulent discharge
wet CSOM: perforation with infection by organisms from external ear (p.aeruginosa, s.aureus), recurrent ear discharge
What is otitis media with effusion?
What does unilateral OME in adults indicate?
presence of fluid in middle ear without sx of infection
Unilateral OME in adults = NPC UNTIL PROVEN OTHERWISE
occurs in children following acute OM
What is treatment for persistent OM
myringotomy and tympanostomy tube insertion
Pathophysiology of cholesteatoma
Eustachian tube dysfunction -> Inward retraction of pars flaccida -> retraction pocket behind TM
Traps epithelium, debris, cerumen
Infection -> erosion and destruction of surrounding bony structures
Conductive hearing loss
Mastoiditis presentation
fever, otorrhea
Tenderness over mastoid
Retroauricular swelling (obliteration of post-auricular sulcus)
What is otosclerosis?
Feature of otosclerosis on audiogram
New bone formation causing fusion of stapes footplate to oval window
Carhart’s notch (dip in bone conduction at 2000Hz
NPC highest incidence in ___. Risk factors?
Southern chinese ethnic group (males)
EBV infection
nitrosamines in salt-preserved food
Fam hx in 1st deg relative
NPC usually diagnosed at stage ___
Stage III/IV
How does NPC cause OME
obstruction of eustachian tube -> effusion in eustachian tube -> impeded sound movement -> deafness/sensation of ear fullness
most common sites of mets for NPC
bone > lung > liver
Investigations for NPC
Nasoendoscopy + biopsy for histo confirmation
Staging: MRI, PET-CT
Bloods:
- EBV DNA (for surveillance)
Audiogram
- for baseline, radiation/chemo can cause sensorineural hearing loss
Treatment of NPC
Firstline: radiation +/- chemo
Recurrence
- surgery (nasopharyngectomy)
- repeat radiation (avoid unless not amenable to surgery)
Cx of NPC treatment
radiotherapy/chemo
- mucositis
- xerostomia (dry mouth)
- sensorineural hearing loss
Borders of triangles of neck
Anterior: midline, lower border of mandible, anterior border of SCM
Posterior: posterior border of SCM, clavicle, anterior border of trapezius
Most common midline neck masses
Lymph nodes
thyroid nodule
thyroglossal cyst
plunging ranula
Most common anterior triangle neck masses
lymph nodes
thyroid nodule
branchial cyst
carotid body tumour
pharyngeal pouch
submandibular mass