ENT Flashcards
What is tonsillitis?
Inflammation due to infection of the tonsils
What are the most common causative organisms of tonsillitis?
Mostly viral- HSV, adenovirus, rhinovirus, influenza, coronavirus, RSV, EBV
Bacterial- staph aureus, strep pneumoniae, mycoplasma pneumoniae
GpA B-haemolytic strep (Strep pyogenes)
What criteria can be used to assess the need for antibiotics in tonsillitis?
FeverPAIN or CENTOR
What are the FeverPAIN criteria?
Fever > 38 Purulence- exudate Attends rapidly- 3 days or less severely Inflamed tonsils No cough or coryza 2 or more- consider antibiotics
What are the CENTOR criteria?
Likelihood of a bacterial infection in patients with sore throat 1. Hx of fever 2. Tonsillar exudate 3. Tender anterior cervical adenopathy 4. Absence of cough Age < 15 (+1) or > 44 (-1)
Management of tonsillitis
Fluids, analgesia
Abx- Phenoxymethylpenicillin V for 10 days
What is the most common causative organism for Glandular fever/Infectious mononucleosis?
EBV
10% CMV
Presentation of Glandular fever/Infectious mononucleosis
Fever, malaise, headache, sore throat, photophobia, red/swollen tonsils with white patches, lymphadenopathy, cough, splenomegaly, abdo pain, nausea
Investigations for Glandular fever/Infectious mononucleosis
Monospot/EBV serology
Throat swab
Management of Glandular fever/Infectious mononucleosis
Usually self-limiting
Causes of 8th nerve lesions
Paget’s disease of bone, Meniere’s disease, Herpes zoster, neurofibroma, acoustic neuroma, CVA, lead, aspirin, furosemide
Presentation of 8th nerve lesions
Unilateral sensorineural deafness and tinnitus
Aetiology of conductive deadfness
Impediment to passage of sound waves between external ear and footplate of stapes
Aetiology of sensorineural deafness
Fault in cochlea or cochlear nerve
What is presbyacusis?
Age-related hearing loss
What is the most common cause of acquired deafness??
Otitis media with effusion
Is air or bone conduction better in conductive and sensorineural deafness?
Conductive: air > bone
Sensorineural: air + bone conduction bad
Causes of conductive hearing loss
Obstruction of external ear canal: wax, inflammatory oedema, debris, atresia, FB
Perforated TM
Fixation/Discontinuity of ossicular chain- infection/trauma
Middle ear effusion
Causes of sensorineural deafness
Bilateral progressive loss- presbyacusis, drug ototoxicity, noise damage
Unilateral progressive loss- Meniere’s disease, acoustic neuroma
Sudden loss- trauma, viral, CVA, acoustic neuroma, barotrauma
What is Acoustic neuroma/Vestibular Schwannoma?
Tumour of vestibulocochlear nerve arising from Schwann cells of the nerve sheath
Slow-growing but mass effect
Risk factors for Acoustic neuroma/Vestibular Schwannoma
Neurofibromatosis type 2
Radiation
Presentation of Acoustic neuroma/Vestibular Schwannoma
Unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, impaired facial sensation, balance problems
Later- facial pain, earache, ataxia
Investigation of suspected Acoustic neuroma/Vestibular Schwannoma
MRI
Management of Acoustic neuroma/Vestibular Schwannoma
Microsurgery
Stereotactic radiotherapy
What is Otitis Externa?
Inflammation of the outer ear
Most common causative organism of Otitis Externa
Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Also fungal- Aspergillus/Candida
Risk factors for Otitis Externa
Hot humid climates, swimming, immunocompromise, DM, over-cleaning, eczema, obstruction of meatus
Presentation of Otitis Externa
Pain + itching, hearing loss, ear canal erythema, oedema, exudate, mobile tympanic membrane, pain with movement of tragus, pre-auricular lymphadenopathy
Management of Otitis Externa
Acute: topical drops, oral/IV Abx- Flucloxacillin or Ciprofloxacin in diabetes
Chronic: Acetic acid + corticosteroid drops; Fungal: Clotrimazole drops
What is Malignant Otitis Externa?
Osteomyelitis of EAM + bony tympanic plate (necrotising)
Presentation of malignant Otitis Externa
Severe unremitting otalgia, purulent aural discharge, granulaitons
Management of malignant Otitis Externa
Quinolones 6-8wks
Complications of Otitis Externa
Meningitis, Cerebral abscess, dural sinus thrombosis
What is Mastoiditis?
Suppurative infection in the middle ear which spreads to the mastoid air cells
–> inflammation –> bony destruction
Risk factors for Mastoiditis
Immunocompromised
Cholesteatoma
Age 6-13
What is the most common causative organism for Mastoiditis?
Strep pneumoniae
Presentation of Mastoiditis
Intense otalgia, pain behind ear, fever, tender boggy swelling behind ear, external ear protrudes forwards, bulging TM
Conductive deafness
Which type of deafness does Mastoiditis cause?
Conductive
Investigation of Mastoiditis
CT/MRI
Management of Mastoiditis
Broad-spectrum IV antibiotics for 1-2 days then oral
- Cefotaxime/Ceftriaxone
Myringotomy +/- tympanostomy tube
Complications of Mastoiditis
Hearing loss
CN palsies- VI/VII or trigeminal opthalmic
Osteomyelitis
What is a Thyroglossal duct cyst?
Occurs from a persistent epithelial tract from descent of the thyroid from the foramen caecum
Types of Thyroglossal duct cyst
Infrahyoid Suprahyoid Juxtahyoid Intralingual Suprasternal Intralaryngeal
Presentation of Thyroglossal duct cyst
Midline lump in neck, moves on swallowing and tongue protrusion, non-tender
What is the typical age for presentation of Thyroglossal duct cyst?
Age 10 ish
Management of Thyroglossal duct cyst
Surgically removed to diagnose and prevent infection
Causes of Acute Pharyngitis
Influenza, mononucleosis, adenovirus, measles, chicken pox, croup, whooping cough, GpA Strep
What is Acute Pharyngitis?
Inflammation of the oropharynx but not the tonsils
Presentation of Acute Pharyngitis
Pharyngeal exudate, cervical lymphadenopathy, difficulty swallowing, fever, chills, headache
Investigations for Acute Pharyngitis
Throat culture for Strep throat
Which tools can be used to assess the need for antibiotics in Acute Pharyngitis
FeverPAIN/CENTOR
Management of Acute Pharyngitis
Phenoxymethylpenicillin if bacterial
Fluids, paracetamol
What is the typical age of presentation with Epiglottitis?
Age 2-5
Causes of Epiglottitis
Used to be Hib but now vaccine
Strep, Staph aureus, Moraxella catarrhalis, HSV
Reactive epiglottitis to radiotherapy
Presentation of Epiglottitis
Sore throat, odynophagia, drooling, muffled ‘hot potato’ voice, fever
Stridor, respiratory distress
Investigation of Epiglottitis
DO NOT examine airway
Fibre optic laryngoscopy- gold standard
Management of Epiglottitis
DO NOT examine airway
Medical emergency
IV/Oral antibiotics
Intubation/surgical tracheostomy?
Causes of chronic laryngitis
Allergy, asthma, trauma, smoking, sarcoidosis, ACE inhibitors
How long is classified as chronic laryngitis?
> 3 weeks
Presentation of laryngitis
Hoarse/breathy voice, pain/discomfort in neck, URTI symptoms, dysphagia, globus pharyngeus, throat clearing, fever
Management of laryngitis
Acute: mostly self-limiting, voice rest, hydration, antibiotics if fever > 48hrs, purulent sputum, immunocompromised
Chronic: voice therapy, treat underlying condition
What is Quinsy?
Peri-tonsillar abscess, complication of acute tonsillitis, pus between tonsillar capsule and lateral pharyngeal wall
Causative organisms of Peri-tonsillar abscess (Quinsy)
Strep pyogenes, Staph aureus, HiB