Lecture 11 - Anatomy of the ear Flashcards
Symptoms and signs of ear disease
Otalgia - ear pain Tinnitus Discharge Vertigo Hearing loss Facial nerve palsy
2 types of hearing loss
Conductive - external and middle ear
Sensorineural - inner ear
External ear structures
Pinna and auricle
External auditory meatus - skin lined ear canal
Lateral tympanic membrane
Middle ear structures
Air filled cavity lined with resporatory epithelium
Ossicles
- The pharyngotympanic tube connects it to the oropharynx
Inner ear structures
Cochlear
Semicircular canals
- Fluid filled
Mastoiditis
Mastoid process contains mastoid air cells that communicates with the middle ear cavity via the mastoid antrum.
Potential route of infection spread from the middle ear to the mastoid air cells
Auricle
Cartilaginous
Covered in skin
Includes ear lobe
Covered in ridges - direct sound waves and guard the external acoustic meatus
Helix
Outer rim of auricle
Tragus
Small flap of auricle
External acoustic meatus
Laterally: Cartilaginous
(1/3rd) Contains hair, cerumen and sebaceous glands
Medially: Bony canal formed by the tympanic plate (2/3rd)
Most medially: fibrous tympanic membrane - ear drum
Lined by skin secreting cerumen (modified sebum) for protection
Sigmoid shape
Ear wax
Discarded skin and cerumen
Self cleaning - desquamation and skin migration laterally off the TM out of the canal
Ossicles
Malleus
Stapes
Incus
Amplify and transmit vibrations to oval window of cochlear
Eustachian tube (pharyngotympanic)
Connects the middle ear to the oropharynx and equalises pressure with the atmosphere.
Ventilates and drains mucus from the middle ear.
Potential route for infection spread from the oropharynx to the middle ear
Eustachian tube innervation
Innervated by the Glosspharyngeal nerve - an feel general sensation and pain
Lining of the eustachian tube
Lined with pseudostratified columnar epithelium
How does the eustachian tube open
Usually closed but intermittently opened by pull of muscles when swallowing and yawning
Special sensory nerve for hearing and balance
CN VIII - vestibulocochlear
Innervation of the ear
Branches of:
C2/C3:
- Pinna
Vagus nerve:
- Lateral tympanic membrane
- External acoustic meatus
- Concha
Trigeminal auriculotemporal nerve (Vc):
- Lateral tympanic membrane
- External acoustic meatus
- Part of tragus
Glosspharyngeal nerve (tympanic nerve):
- Mastoid air cells
- Middle ear
- Medial tympanic membrane
Facial nerve (nervus intermedius) :
- Lateral TM
- EAM
- Concha
Why do you get ear pain in pharyngitis?
Referred pain due to glossopharyngeal nerve
Otalgia with normal ear examination
Can have a non- ontological cause e.g.
TMJ dysfunction - CN Vc
Oropharynx disease - CN IX
Larynx/pharynx disease - CN X
Function of the external ear
Collects, transmits and focuses sound waves onto the TM
Pinna abnormalities
Ramsey Hunt syndrome - Varicella Zoster with facial nerve palsy
Pinna haematoma
Perichondritis
Varicella zoster
Vesicular rash in ear - shingles
Pinna haematoma
Accumulaton of blood between the cartilage and overlying perichondrium secondary to blunt injury to pinna
- deprives cartilage of blood supply thus necrosis can occur