HNN Topic 18 - Pharynx, Larynx, Tonsils, Nose and Ear Flashcards
List the intrinsic muscles of the larynx and describe their functions
- Cricothyroid muscle - stretches and tenses vocal ligaments (forceful speech)
- Thyroarytenoid muscle - relaxes vocal ligament (soft speech)
- Posterior cricoarytenoid muscle - abducts vocal ligament
- Lateral cricoarytenoid muscle - adducts vocal ligament
- Transverse and oblique arytenoid muscles - adducts vocal ligament
What is the function of the larynx?
Phonation, cough reflex, protection of lower respiratory tract
Describe the areas of the nasal cavity
- Vestibule - surrounds anterior external opening to nasal cavity
- Respiratory region - lined by ciliated pseudostratified epithelium (respiratory), mucous secreting goblet cells
- Olfactory region - at apex of nasal cavity, lined by olfactory cells
What is the function of the intrinsic muscles of the larynx?
Control shape of rima glottidis and length/tension of vocal folds for phonation
How can the vestibuloocular reflex be tested?
Barany chair or caloric stimulation
Describe how the inner ear functions in balance
- Vestibular apparatus = semi-circular canals and otolith organs (utricle and saccule)
- Semi-circular canals detect angular acceleration in 3 planes due to orientation in 3 different planes - superior, horizontal + posterior
- Otolith organs detect linear acceleration (horizontal and vertical) and orientation in a gravitational field
- Vestibular receptors - hair cells, affected by movement of endolymph
Describe the lining and location of the oropharynx
- Lined by stratified squamous non-keratinised epithelium
- From edge of soft palate to tip of epiglottis
List the treatment/management options in otitis media with effusion
- Active observation (6-12 weeks)
- Hearing aids
- Autoinflation/Valsalva manoeuvre
- Surgical - myringotomy and ventilation tube (Grommet) insertion
If things become stuck in the throat (e.g. fish bones), where are they likely to be lodged?
In the vallecula/piriform fossa
What is the function of the fenestra vestibuli and the fenestra cochlea?
- Fenestra vestibuli - stapes moves in and out of in response to vibration
- Fenestra cochlea - fluid pushed by footplate of stapes bulges here (2nd tympanic membrane)
List the risk factors for otitis media with effusion
- Bottle-fed
- Parental smoking
- Group nursery
- Atopy e.g. eczema, asthma
- Genetic disorders
- Mucociliary e.g. cystic fibrosis, primary ciliary dyskinesia
- Craniofacial e.g. Down’s syndrome, cleft palate
Describe the structure of the palatine tonsils
- Covered by stratified squamous epithelium
- Penetrated by 15-20 crypts - contains lymphocytes, bacteria and desquamated epithelial cells
What is the function of the vestibuloocular reflex?
Stabilise images on the retina during movements - eyes move against direction of rotation of head
Describe the boundaries of the nasal cavity
Vestibule to nasopharynx
What is the function of the sphenopalatine foramen?
At the level of the superior meatus, allows communication between the nasal cavity and the pterygopalatine fossa, sphenopalatine artery, nasopalatine and posterior superior lateral nasal nerve pass through
What is the function of the inner ear?
Hearing and balance
Describe the contents of the mastoid antrum
Mastoid air cells - can become infected ( =mastoiditis)
What causes sensorineural deafness?
- Nerve deafness- damage to nerve or inner ear (hair cells)
- Aging, ototoxicity, loud noise, tumours
What is the function of the nose?
Olfactory and respiratory
- Warms/humidifies air
- Removes and traps pathogens/particulate matter from inspired air
- Sense of smell
- Drains paranasal sinuses and lacrimal ducts
Describe the parts of the middle ear
- Tympanic cavity - contains ossicles
- Epitympanic recess - superior to tympanic cavity, next to mastoid antrum
- Auditory tube - connects middle ear to nasopharynx
- Fenestra vestibuli
- Fenestra cochlea
Where is the incisive canal and what is its function?
Between nasal cavity and incisive fossa of the oral cavity, transmits nasopalatine nerve and greater palatine artery
Where are the corniculate cartilages found?
Articulate with the apex of the arytenoid cartilage
How is autoinflation/Valsalva manoeuvre used in treatment of otitis media with effusion?
- Valsalva manoeuvre = blow out air against pressure (with nose pinched/mouth shut)
- Equalises pressure in middle ear, allows ventilation and drainage of fluid
- Done if child is old enough
- Young children - autoinflation
- Blow up balloon via nostril to equalise pressure
Describe the aetiology/pathogenesis of otitis media with effusion in children
- Combination of inflammatory changes and auditory tube dysfunction
- Upper respiratory infection - inflammation of tonsils, tubal tonsil inflammation causes occlusion of auditory tube
- Negative pressure due to occlusion of the auditory tube - fluid accummulation
- Children’s auditory tubes are shorter + more horizontal, more susceptible to infection/occlusion
What is the Weber test used for?
- Detect unilateral conductive/sensorineural hearing loss
- Tuning fork placed in the middle of the forehead - compare volume in each ear
- Normal - symmetrical
- Abnormal
- Conductive - louder in defective ear
- Sensorineural - louder in normal ear
Describe how the inner ear functions in hearing
- Cochlea detects magnitude/frequency of sound waves
- Inner hair cells of organ of Corti activate ion channels in response to vibration of the basilar membrane
- Action potential from spiral ganglia (cell bodies of cochlear nerve)
- Higher magnitude of sound waves = more action potentials
Describe the blood supply of the lingual tonsils
Lingual artery, tonsillar branch of external carotid artery
Describe the location of the tonsils
Waldeyer’s ring of tonsil tissue - around oropharynx
Describe the location and structure of the pharyngeal tonsils
- Adenoids, in superior nasopharynx
- Covered by pseudostratified columnar epithelium (respiratory)
- No crypts
Describe the venous drainage of the palatine tonsil
Internal jugular vein via peritonsillar plexus of the lingual/pharyngeal veins
Describe the clinical signs which would be seen in conductive deafness
- Rinne test negative - bone conduction > air conduction
- Absolute bone conduction normal
Describe the blood supply of the nasal cavity
- Branches of internal and external carotid arteries
- Internal - anterior and posterior ethmoidal arteries, branches of ophthalmic artery, come through cribiform plate
- External - sphenopalatine, greater palatine, superior labial and lateral nasal arteries
- Veins follow arteries, drain into pterygoid plexus, facial vein or cavernous sinus
Where are the tubal tonsils found?
On tubal elevation, surrounds the opening to the auditory tube
What is the clinical significance of the relationship between the paranasal sinuses and the nasal cavity?
- Upper respiratory tract infection can spread to sinuses, causes inflammation (swelling and pain) of mucosa - sinusitis
- More than one sinus affected = pansinusitis
- Maxillary nerve supplies maxillary sinus and maxillary teeth - inflammation of maxillary sinus can present with toothache
List the types of deafness
- Conductive deafness
- Sensorineural deafness
Describe the surgical treatment of otitis media with effusion
- Myringotomy - small incision in tympanic membrane, relieves pressure and allows for Grommet insertion
- Grommet - small tube inserted in tympanic membrane to ventilate middle ear and allow drainage of fluid
- Side effects - ear discharge (otorrhoea), tympanic membrane perforation
- Remain in membrane for 6 months - 2 years, spontaneously fall out
- Tympanic membrane usually closes without residual hole
Why is observation often the first line of management of otitis media with effusion? When is observation not appropriate?
- Spontaneous resolution is common
- Referral to ENT if:
- Severe hearing loss
- Delay in reaching developmental milestones
- Symptoms persist for longer than observation period
- Underlying craniofacial abnormality e.g. Down’s syndrome/cleft palate
Where does the ethmoid sinus drain to?
- Anterior, middle and posterior
- Anterior drains to hiatus semilunaris
- Middle into ethmoid bulla
- Posterior into superior meatus
Describe the structure of the interior of the nasal cavity
- 3 nasal conchae - inferior, middle + superior
- ‘Turbinates’ - curved shelves of bone
- Create 4 pathways for air
- Inferior, middle and superior meatuses
- Spheno-ethmoidal recess
Define otitis media with effusion
- Also called serous otitis media/secretory otitis media/glue ear
- Fluid accummulation in the middle ear and mastoid air cells due to negative pressure produced by dysfunction of the auditory tube
- Can be associated with a viral or bacterial upper respiratory infection e.g. otitis media
- Causes conductive hearing loss
What is the function of the auditory tube?
Equalises pressure between the external environment and the middle ear
Describe the innervation of the muscles of the middle ear
- Tensor tympani - innervated by tensor tympani nerve (branch of mandibular nerve)
- Stapedius - innervated by nerve to stapedius (branch of facial nerve)
Describe the structure of the vocal folds
- Superor vestibular folds - false vocal folds
- Inferior vocal folds - true vocal folds
- Rima glottidis between the true vocal folds, size altered by muscles of phonation
What would be see during an otoscopy in otitis media with effusion?
- Dull tympanic membrane
- Loss of ‘cone of light’
- Fluid level behind tympanic membrane
- Reduced tympanic membrane mobility