ENT Flashcards
otitis externa signs and symps
signs - ear canal/external ear is inflamed/eczematous and discharge
symptoms - itch, severe ear pain, jaw tenderness, aural fullness
otitis externa - management
ear drops (antibiotics and steroids in it) painkillers keep ear dry, allow discharge to escape
severe
ear wick
oral antibiotics
noise/age related hearing loss symptoms compared
- diff history of exposure to recurrent loud noises
compared to age > 50 yrs - bilateral, gradual, sensorineural
- tinnitus
- loss of high frequency sounds first - conversation, increasing tel vol
loss - management
hearing aids
reassurance and assistive listening device (like flashing doorbell)
Meniere’s disease - symptoms
recurrent episodes of vertigo, hearing loss, tinnitus
aural fullness
nausea/vomiting
hearing loss is progressive alongside dipping in episodes
Meniere’s disease - management
- antihistamines - improve symptoms (nausea/vomiting, vertigo (can’t improve dizziness though)
- don’t drive, sit/lie down during episodes, carry around medication in case of attack, move slowly
- psychological impact
Acute otitis media - symptoms and otoscopy findings
severe pain fever URTI symptoms - common cold otoscopy - TM inflamed, tear if ruptured conductive hearing loss possibly
acute otitis media -
- investigations
- management
- tympanometry - measure air pressure - to determine
rupture (fluid build up can rupture it) - confirm infection, test discharge, fbc , crp
- tympanometry - measure air pressure - to determine
- resolve itself 1-3 days, simple analgesics
- grommets - recurrent AOM
- oral antibiotics if: >4 days no improvement, systemically unwell which doesn’t require admission, RF’s - congenital heart disease/immunosuppression
- impatient admission - >3months w temp
Chronic suppurative otitis media / Wet tympanic perforations
- presentation
- investigations
- recurrent otorrhoea through tymp perforation >2 wks w/out fever/otalgia , conductive heating loss
- granulation tissue on otoscopy, imaging if suspect complications e.g CT for cholesteatoma
CSOM/wet T perforations
management
- advise - ear dry, aural toileting - earplugs when showering, no swim, clean w tissue superficially
- topical antibiotics (gram both)/steroid treatments - reduces granuloma formation
- surgical - if v severe
myringoplasty - close eardrum perforation
tympanoplasty - “ + involve bones of inner ear
Dry tymp perforations
presentation, I and M
- only mild hearing loss - severity depends on size can be asymptomatic
- tympanometry
- heals spontaneously in few weeks, advise - avoid blowing nose (pressure), ear dry don’t clean
if doesn’t- then eardrum patch or tympanoplasty
mastoiditis
presentation
- swelling behind ear
- redness, tenderness/pain
- fever/irritability/lethargy
- headache
- ear symptoms: hearing loss, discharge
mastoiditis
I and M
- press on mastoid bone if tender/swollen send to a&E
- blood test and ear discharge culture,
- hospital admissions - iv antibiotics as can spread
myringotomy - drain fluid in middle ear, relieve pressure
mastoidectomy - remove infected bone
otitis media with effusion (glue ear)
presentation and I
- hearing loss
- mild otalgia
- aural fullness
- maybe discharge - yellow, TM retracted
- tympanometry - straight line at 1.3
otitis media management
- self -limiting - actively observe for 2-3 mths, can offer auto-inflation if child is old enough
- auto inflation - balloon through nostril - if bilateral and persistent - offer hearing aids if surgery contraindicated otherwise grommet
congenital deafness
P
I
M
p - bilateral sensorineural hearing loss, can be associated w causes of other genetic conditions or infections, speech/language impairment if not treated early
I - for causes: gene mapping, blood tests for infection, imaging to asses ear structures
M - earlier better, hearing aids, aural rehabilitation (sign language), cochlear implantation if bilateral and severe
Cholesteatoma
P
I - findings
P - abnormal sac of keratinizing squamous epithelium/accumulation of keratin in middle ear/mastoid air cell spaces which can become infected/erode into other structures
- Recurrent/chronic purulent, smelly discharge - can be unresponsive
to Abx
- Conductive hearing loss/tinnitus
I
look at TM - otoscope
- if congenital (rare) - white mass behind intact TM w no
other ear history
otherwise - ear discharge (referral if sig and can’t see TM coz)
- TM perforated and retracted
- deep retraction pocket
- crust/keratin in upper part of TM(aka eardrum)
- CT scan w suspected cholesteatoma/ following surgery for it as cam recur