Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth & Neck Flashcards
What is required for a complete exam of the head and neck?
visual inspection, obtaining measurements, palpation, ophthalmoscope, auscultation and transillumination
What state is optimal for assessment?
to facilitate an optimal assessment with minimal discomfort, a quiet alert state allows for examination of the eyes and a crying state allows for examination of the oropharynx
What is included in general initial observation?
infant’s state; race-specific variations; color of the skin and mucous membranes; size and symmetry of the head and face; obvious deformations, malformations or evidence of birth trauma
What percentage of all anomalies seen at birth occur in the region of the head and neck?
90%; minor anomalies of the head and neck are common
What is the first step in the assessment of head size?
measurement of the occipital-frontal circumference (OFC)
How is an OFC measurement properly obtained?
by measuring 3 times and recording the largest value obtained; encircling the head at the widest occiput prominence and anteriorly 1-2 cm above the glabellar space at the largest frontal prominence
What is the average OFC measurement of a 40 week term infant?
35 cm, ranging from 33-37cm between the 10th and 90th percentile
Prior to the closure of the fontanels, the OFC is an indirect measurement of what?
intracranial contents including the brain, cerebrospinal fluid, cerebral blood volume and bone
How can an OFC measurement after birth be possibly misleading?
r/t cranial molding, scalp edema or hemorrhage under the periosteum; subsequent measurements should be taken for several days after birth
What is required to diagnose symmetric v asymmetric growth restriction and micro- v macrocephaly?
the percentile of OFC, weight and length respective to gestational age
What qualifies as microcephaly?
OFC <10% for GA
What causes microcephaly?
poor brain growth
How are cranial sutures affected by microcephaly?
cranial sutures become prematurely fused because the expansive force of brain growth that enlarges the cranial vault is lacking
Is microcephaly an isolated finding?
Sometimes, or it may be associated with a genetic syndrome or congenital infx
Under what circumstances might an OFC measurement be less than expected?
prematurity; discrepancies may be d/t inaccurate dating and/or pathologic restriction of growth; non-caucasian infants have a smaller OFC as a normal race variation
Which occurs more frequently: growth restriction or growth acceleration?
growth restriction
What qualifies as macrocephaly?
OFC >90% despite appropriate weight and length for GA
Why might macrocephaly present?
may be a familial characteristic or caused by hydrocephalus or a/w dwarfism or OI
What is the typical presentation of familial macrocephaly?
more often presents as macrencephaly (large brain volume) without hydrocephalic features
How is familial macrocephaly confirmed?
confirmation requires obtaining measurements of the parents’ heads and plotting them on a Weaver curve
When is cranial transillumination indicated?
When the infant’s head has an unusual shape or size or the neurological exam is abnormal
What is implied by a ring of light >2cm larger than the light source when performing a cranial transillumination?
increased fluid volume or decreased brain tissue in the cranium
Under what circumstances might an examiner obtain a “false positive” when performing a cranial transillumination?
when the infant has a large caput because the scalp edema will transmit a halo of light
In the infant presenting with a high level of suspicion for hydrocephalus, transillumination is often replaced by what other more definitive studies?
cranial ultrasound, CT scan or MRI