ENT Flashcards
Name 3 symptoms of otitis externa
Otalgia, discharge, itchiness
Name 3 precipitating factors for Otitis externa
Excess canal moisture - 'swimmers ear' Trauma e.g. fingernails High humidity Absence of wax Hearing aids Narrow ear canal
What 2 organisms are chief causes of otitis externa?
Pseudomonas aeruginosa and s.aureus
Investigations and management for otitis externa
Swab any discharge
Topical antibiotics and steroid - e.g. gentamicin + hydrocortisone
Oral abx if systemically unwell (fluclox)
If otitis externa is persistent, unilateral, ?resistant to treatment what are you worried about?
Malignant otitis externa - particularly in diabetics/immunocompromised/elderly
Malignant SCC - biopsy
Name the 4 main causes of ear discharge, and describe how the discharge may differ with each cause
Otitis Externa - scanty discharge
Otitis Media - mucous
Cholesteatoma - offensive mucous discharge
CSF otorrhoea - following trauma, contains glucose or makes ‘halo’ sign on filter paper.
A 25 year old man presents to the GP with rapid onset of otalgia (within the last day) and discharge from the ear. He has been vomiting, and unable to eat in the last day and says he is much worse than he was last week when he had a ‘severe’ cold. His temperature is 37.9. What is the likely diagnosis
Otitis Media
Name the 3 common symptoms of otitis media
Otalgia, pyrexia, malaise/coryzal sx
3 common causative organisms of otitis media
Pneumococcus, Haemophilus, Moraxella
A mother bring her 1 year old into the GP as for the last day he has been feverish, tugging at his ear, irritable and not tolerating feeds. However, while in the waiting room she notices a snotty substance on his ear and he seems much more settled. What is the likely dx?
Otitis Media with tympanic membrane perforation - relieves the pressure lessening pain.
The parent of a 5 year old with AOM is insistent on his receiving abx, what is the rationale for when to give them? What would you give?
60% will self-resolve within 24h.
Indications - systemically unwell, perforation and/or discharge in canal, sx lasting >4/7 or not improving, immunocompromise.
PO 5/7 amoxicillin (erythromycin/clarithromycin if penicillin allergic)
Define chronic otitis media, name symptoms
Perforated TM accompanied by recurrent or persistent infection, causes otalgia, otorrhoea, aural fullness and hearing problems.
Complications of cholesteatoma
Meningitis, cerebral abscess, facial nerve palsy, hearing loss, mastoiditis
What are the 2 cardinal sx of cholesteatoma
offensive discharge and hearing loss
What is a cholesteatoma?
Non-cancerous growth of squamous epithelial cells trapped in the skull base causing local destruction. Seen most commonly in 10-20y/o. Risk factor = cleft palate.
What causes mastoiditis?
Middle ear inflammation causes destruction of air cells in the mastoid bone which can cause abscess formation.
symptoms of mastoiditis
otalgia, fever, swelling and redness behind the pinna, protruding auricle
How would you manage a patient with suspected mastoiditis who presents to you in GP
Immediate referral to hospital for IV antibiotics!
How would you manage a perforated tympanic membrane
Reassure that most perforated TM will self-resolve in 6-8 weeks, try and keep the ear dry and don’t insert anything into it.
Follow up in 6 weeks - not healed yet then refer to ENT
How would otitis media look on otoscopy?
TM bulging and erythematous, dilated circumferential vessels.
Is Otitis Media with Effusion more worrying in an adult or child? Why?
Adult. In adult should r/o postnasal space tumour. Kids - adenoids and narrow Eustachian tube make them more liable to effusion.
Risk factors for OME
Boy, downs syndrome, cleft palate, winter, atopy, child of a smoker, primary ciliary dyskinesia
What is the main presenting complaint for otitis media with effusion?
Hearing loss in kids - may have faltering school performance, poor listening/behaviour/speech/balance, inattention, language delays, ear infections/URTIs
What might you see on otoscopy of someone with otitis media with effusion?
Retracted or bulging TM, fluid level or bubbles behind it, can be dull, grey or yellow.
How would you manage a child with suspected otitis media with effusion?
refer for formal hearing tests and audiometry - pure tone testing and impedance tympanometry.
Usually self resolves - active observation of OME for 3 months (advice on how to minimise impact of hearing loss e.g. reduce background noise, sit at child level and give them simple instructions) then reassess, at which point a failure of improvement may ?grommets
Which tests does the universal newborn hearing screening utilise?
Otoacoustic emissions (measures peripheral auditory system function) Audiological brainstem response (measures auditory pathway from CN8 to lower brainstem)
A child of 8 months old requires hearing tests, what test would you use
Visually reinforced audiometry used from 6months to 2.5yrs
What are the important dangerous causes to exclude in unilateral sensorineural hearing loss
nasopharyngeal ca, acoustic neuroma and cholesteatoma
A 25 year old woman visits the ENT clinic complaining of hearing loss and tinnitus, and occasionally a bit of vertigo. She thinks her father may have had something similar and is worried that she is going deaf. She has no pain or discharge. PMH - 3 months postpartum (G1P1). PSH - C-section 3/12 ago. DHx - COCP, multivitamins.
What is the likely diagnosis?
Otosclerosis - autosomal dominant (father), accelerated by pregnancy, more common in females.
What treatment can be offered for otosclerosis?
Hearing aids or surgery - stapedectomy/stapedotomy (CI contralateral SNHL as risk of SNHL), cochlear implant if severe.
Range of normal hearing level and hearing loss categories
-10 to +25 Mild - 26-40 Moderate - 41-70 Severe - 70-90 Profound >90
Which ototoxic drugs are associated with permanent hearing loss?
Cisplatins and aminoglycosides e.g. gentamicin
Which ototoxic drugs are associated with tinnitus and reversible hearing loss?
NSAIDs, aspirin, loop diuretic, quinine and macrolides.
How may an acoustic neuroma (vestibular schwannoma) present? How would you investigate?
Progressive Ipsilateral tinnitus ± SNHL. If large can give ipsilateral cerebellar or RICP signs. Can cause neuropathies of CN 5,6,7. MRI.
Define benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and the underlying pathophysiology
Attacks of sudden onset episodes of rotational vertigo lasting around 30s on moving the head, commonly when turning over/getting out of bed. No persistent vertigo, changes in hearing or tinnitus, no nystagmus, no headache/ataxia/visual or sensory problems.
Due to the displacement of otoliths stimulating the semicircular canals.
What investigation is used to diagnose BPPV
Dix-Hallpike test
How is BPPV treated
Usually self-limiting, can utilise the Epley manoeuvre .
How does Meniere’s disease present?
Sudden attacks of vertigo lasting 2-4h and nystagmus, may be preceded by aural fullness and tinnitus. May see fluctuating SNHL.
How is Menieres disease treated?
Acutely - prochlorperazine
Prophylaxis - betahistine
How does vestibular neuronitis present?
recurrent vertigo attacks lasting hours or days, usually accompanied by horizontal nystagmus. May see nausea and vomiting. NO hearing loss or tinnitus.
a 45 year old man presents to his GP with unbearable vertigo which has persisted for the last 2 days
Hx - vertigo which is made worse by moving but was not triggered by it, N+V, tinnitus. Had an URTI last week for which he did not seek medical help.
O/E - horizontal nystagmus towards the R, Weber localises to the R, Rinne positive on the R and L (AC>BC).
What is the likely dx?
Viral labyrinthitis
- recent viral (?) URTI
- vertigo exacerbated by moving but not triggered by it (r/o BPPV)
- vertigo lasting 2 days - menieres tends to last a few hours, BPPV a few seconds
- Hearing loss and tinnitus - vestibular neuronitis affects vestibular nerve only, not labyrinth so would not expect hearing loss.
How would you differentiate a turbinate to a polyp
Turbinate tends to be pale, polyp pink
Turbinate sensitive to touch, polyp insensitive to gentle palpation
How would acute sinusitis present?
Thick purulent discharge, facial pain worse on leaning forward, nasal obstruction
How should acute sinusitis be managed?
usually self-limiting
<10 days or improving - analgesia ± nasal decongestants
10+ days = intranasal corticosteroids (mometasone) ± PO phenoxymethylpenicillin 5/7 (if systemically unwell or not improving after 2wks)
How would you expect a bacterial sinusitis to present vs viral?
Purulent discharge, double-sickening - usually see viral sinusitis appear to get better then it gets worse again with secondary bacterial infection
How should allergic rhinitis be managed?
Mild-moderate = oral or nasal antihistamines e.g. loratadine
Moderate-severe = intranasal corticosteroids e.g. mometasone
Life-event e.g. exams - consider short course PO prednisolone
Name some associations of nasal polyps
cystic fibrosis
infective sinusitis
Samters triad - aspirin sensitivity, asthma + nasal polyps
Kartageners syndrome and Churg-Strauss syndrome
A 60 year old man presents to his GP with rhinorrhoea and and reduced sense of smell which has become bothersome. O/E - polyp seen in left nostril,right nostril clear.
What is your next step in management?
2WW to ENT - unilateral polyp can be sign of lymphoma or nasopharyngeal cancer.
How would you treat someone with chronic rhino sinusitis with polyps
topical intranasal steroids to shrink polyps e.g. 2wks intranasal betamethasone followed by 3 months intranasal fluticasone
What symptoms/signs diagnose acute bacterial rhinosinusitis?
3+ of - discoloured discharge (with a unilateral predominance) and purulent secretion into nasal cavity, severe local pain (with unilateral predominance), fever >38, elevated ESR/CRP, double-sickening.