Head & Ears Flashcards
What are some common facial features of FAS (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome)
- Short palpebral fissures
- Thin vermilion border (upper lip)
- Smooth filtrum
Common Trisomy 21 features?
- Epicanthal folds
- Macroglossia
- Small ears & mouth
- Brushfield spots
What are Brushfield spots?
White spots on Iris
What connective tissue is Marfan’s Syndrome a disorder of?
Fibrillin
Common features of Marfan’s Syndrome?
- Tall
- Loose joints
- Crowded Teeth
- Valvular & Aortic abnormalities
- Pectus Caravatum
What defines the outer ear?
Visible ear & external auditory canal
What are the contents of the middle ear?
- Tympanic Membrane
- Malleus, Incus, Stapes
- Eustachian Tube
What defines the inner ear?
Semicircular canals & Cochlea
In a Weber test, where is the tuning fork placed?
Top of head or general midline structure
In a Rinne test, where is the tuning fork placed?
1st on the mastoid bone & then beside the ear
What is the Weber test supposed to detect?
Unilateral hearing loss
If you have Conductive hearing loss, which side will be louder in a Weber test?
Impaired ear
If you have Sensorineural hearing loss, which side will be louder in a Weber test?
Unaffected ear
If you start with a Rinne test and AC > BC but not 2:1, which type of hearing loss is it?
Sensory
If you start with a Rinne test and AC < BC, which type of hearing loss is it?
Conductive (Negative rinne test)
If the Rinne test shows AC < BC & Weber test is louder in the left ear, what is the diagnosis?
Conductive hearing loss in left ear
If the Rinne test shows AC > BC & Weber test is louder in the left ear, what is the diagnosis?
Sensorineural hearing loss in the right ear
Conductive hearing loss is found in which sections of the ear?
External & middle
What are the 4 mechanisms of Conductive hearing loss?
- Obstruction in EAC
- Mass-loading (effusion)
- Stiffness effect
- Discontinuity
Is it easy or difficult to differentiate between sensory & neural hearing loss?
difficult
What does a ‘deterioration of the cochlea’ imply?
loss of hair cells from organ of Corti
Most common form of Sensory hearing loss?
Presbyacusis
What is presbyacusis?
progressive hearing loss due to advanced age
What frequency is lost first in presbyacusis?
high frequency
Contributing factors of presbyacusis
- Excessive noise exposure
- Head trauma
- Systemic diseases
- Smoking
- Ototoxicity
Lesions of the 8th cranial nerve involve what type of hearing loss?
Neural
Neural hearing loss involves lesions on…
- CN VIII
- Auditory nuclei
- Ascending tracts
- Auditory cortex
Causes of Neural hearing loss lesions
- Acoustic Neuroma
- MS
- Auditory Neuropathy
Treatments for sensorineural hearing loss?
- Prevention (ear plugs)
- Hearing aids
- Cochlear implants
Common term for Traumatic auricular hematoma?
Cauliflower ear
Why do you have to quickly treat Cauliflower ear?
prevent cosmetic deformity
Why do you have to quickly treat cellulitis of the auricle?
prevent perichondritis
Function of Cerumen?
Protects ear by trapping dust, bacteria, etc
Where is Cerumen produced?
ear canal in outer 3rd cartilaginous portion
Cerumen is made of…
Mixture of…
- Viscous secretions from sebaceous glands
- Less viscous secretions from modified apocrine sweat glands
What is the most common cause of hearing loss?
Cerumen impaction
Symptoms of Cerumen Impaction
- Earache
- Fullness Sensation
- Tinnitus
- Partial conductive hearing loss
Treatment for Cerumen Impaction
- Baby oil/mineral oil
- Drops - Debrox a.k.a glycerine
- Sodium Bicarb + H20
- H202 + H20
Complications of cerumen impaction removal?
- Otitis Externa
- Bleeding
- Retained water in ear
- TM perforation
What are overgrowths of bone in the ear canal called?
Exostoses/Osteomas
When do you NOT irrigate for a foreign body in an ear?
if the FB is organic (beans, insects)…they might swell
What is one of the biggest emergencies when it comes to foreign bodies in the ear?
batteries
What is Pruritis?
Itchy ear
How do you get Pruritus
Excoriation or by overly zealous ear cleaning
Treatment for Pruritis
- Stop using Q-Tips
- Mineral oil
- Topical corticosteroids
- Antihistamines
Characteristics of Otitis Externa?
- Erythema & edema of ear canal skin
- purulent exudate
- Pain when touching auricle
What is a dangerous complication of OE?
osteomyelitis in the skull base (malignant external otitis)
Common causes of Otitis Externa?
- Moisture
- Dirty Water
- High temp & humidity
- Removing Cerumen
- FB (foreign bodies)
- trauma
- Dermatologic diseases
Treatments for OE
Antibiotic drops (Aminoglycoside/fluoroquinolone) or antifungals
Prevention for OE
Alcohol drops
What is another name for Necrotizing Otitis Externa?
Malignant Otitis Externa
Where does NOE/MOE spread to?
temporal bone
What is the most common pathogen in NOE/MOE?
Pseudomonas
How dangerous is NOE/MOE?
fatal if not treated
How does NOE/MOE present?
- Persistent foul aural discharge
- Granulations in ear canal
- Deep otalgia
- Progressive CN palsies (6,7,9,10,11,12)
How is NOE/MOE diagnosed?
CT scan w/bone
Treament of NOE/MOE
- Daily Debridement of EAC
- Glucose control
- Antipseudomonal drugs (Quinolones)
- Surgery
Most common neoplasm of ear canal?
Squamous cell carcinoma
Mortality rate for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Ear Canal?
5-year (very high)
Treatment for Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Ear Canal?
Surgical resection & radiation therapy
What does Eustachian Tube Dysfunction (ETD) cause?
unequal air pressure on either side of eardrum
Symptoms of ETD
- Aural fullness
- Fluctuating hearing
- “Popping” in ears
- Discomfort with pressure changes
What is someone with ETD at risk for?
Serous Otitis Media
Does ETD result in positive or negative pressure in the middle ear
negative
Most common cause of ETD?
Viral URI & allergies
Treatment of ETD
Systemic & intranasal decongestants
What causes Serous Otitis Media?
Blocked Eustachian tube for a long time
What age group most commonly gets SOM?
children
How do adults get SOM?
- Post URI
- Barotrauma
- Chronic allergic rhinitis
What is the most important thing to exclude with persistent SOM?
nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Treatment for SOM
Controversial
1. short course of oral corticosteroids (prednisone)
2. Oral antibiotics
(amoxicillin)
What is Barotrauma?
Poor Eustachian tube function – unable to equalize pressure in Eustachian tubes