OHCEPS - Ear, Nose, And Throat Flashcards
Into what is the auricle divided?
- Antihelix
- Helix
- Lobe
- Tragus
- Concha
composed of fibrocartilage - the ear lobe is adipose only.
Describe the tympanic membrane.
- Thin
- Grey
- Oval
- Semitransparent membrane
- At the medial end of the external acoustic meatus 1cm in diameter.
Where does the middle ear lie?
In the petrous part of the temporal bone and is connected to the nasopharynx via the Eustachian tube.
It connects with the mastoid air cells.
Which are the 2 muscles of the middle ear?
Stapedius and tensor tympani.
Which are the paranasal sinuses?
- Frontal
- Ethmoid
- Sphenoid
- Maxillary
What is the role of the paranasal sinuses?
- Protection of intracranial structures.
- Eyes from trauma
- Aid to vocal resonance
- Reduction of skull weight.
What does the oral cavity include?
- Lips
- Anterior 2/3 of the tongue
- Hard palate
- Teeth
- Alveoli of the mandible and maxilla
How many sets of teeth develop during lifetime?
Two sets of teeth.
What is the first set of teeth that develops?
Milk teeth.
What is the timeline for the different teeth types?
Incisors --> 6months. Rest follow within 3 years. In the permanent set --> 1st molar or central incisor --> 6yrs. 2nd molar --> 11yrs. 3rd molar --> 18yrs (wisdom teeth).
Where does the larynx lie?
At the level of the bodies of C33-C6 vertebrae.
What is the role of the larynx?
- Prevent food and saliva from entering the respiratory tract.
- As a phonating mechanism for voice production.
Where is the epiglottis attached?
To the thyroid cartilage + Occludes the laryngeal inlet during shallowing.
Mention the 3 main salivary glands.
- Parotid
- Submandibular
- Sublingual
Where do the parotid ducts open?
They cross the masseter muscles and open into the oral cavity OPPOSITE the upper 2nd MOLAR TEETH.
What should also be asked when otalgia is the presenting complaint?
- Discharge
- Hearing loss
- Previous ear operations
- Ear syringing
- Use of cotton buds
- Trauma
- Swimming
- Air travel
What is the sensory supply of the ears?
V, IX, X and the C2, C3 nerves –> Otalgia may be referred from other areas.
Mention some causes of otological otalgia.
- Acute otitis externa
- Acute otitis media
- Perichondritis
- Furunculosis
- Trauma
- Neoplasm
- Herpes zoster (Ramsey Hunt syndrome)
Mention some NON-otological causes of otalgia.
- Cervical spine disease
- Tonsillitis
- Dental disease
- Temporo-mandibular joint disease
- Neoplasms of the pharynx or larynx
What is otorrhoea?
Discharge from the external auditory meatus.
What should be asked about the nature of the discharge in otorrhea?
- Watery –> Eczema, CSF.
- Purulent –> Acute otitis externa
- Mucoid –> Chronic suppurative otitis media with perforation
- Mucopurulent/blood stained –> Trauma, acute otitis media, cancer.
- Foul-smelling –> Chronic suppurative otitis media, cholesteatoma.
What should be asked during PC, regarding hearing loss?
- The time and speed of onset.
- Is it partial or complete?
- Are both ears affected or just one?
- Is there associated pain, discharge, or vertigo?
What should be asked during PMH, regarding hearing loss?
Especially tuberculosis and septicaemia.
What should be asked during FHx regarding hearing loss?
Hearing loss may be inherited (e.g., otosclerosis).
What should be asked during DHx, regarding hearing loss?
Certain drugs, particularly those which are toxic to the renal system, affect the ear –>
- Aminoglycosides
- Some diuretics
- Cytotoxic agents
- Salicylates + quinine show reversible toxicity.
What should be asked during SHx, regarding hearing loss?
- Occupation and leisure activities should not be overlooked.
- Prolonged exposure to loud noise (heavy industrial machinery)
- Levels of 90dB or greater require ear protection.
Mention some causes of CONDUCTIVE hearing loss.
- Wax
- Otitis externa, if ear is full of debris.
- Middle ear effusion
- Trauma to ossicles
- Otosclerosis
- Chronic middle ear infection (current or previous)
- Tumors of the middle ear
Mention some causes of sensorineural hearing loss.
- Presbyacusis
- Vascular ischemia
- Noise exposure
- Inflammatory/infectious diseases - measles, mumps, meningitis, syphilis.
- Ototoxicity
- Acoustic tumors (progressive unilateral hearing loss, but may be bilateral).
What is tinnitus?
Perception of abnormal noise in the ear or head and may be caused by almost any pathology in the auditory apparatus.
What should be asked about tinnitus?
- Character
- Associated hearing loss
- How the tinnitus bothers them (sleep or daily living affected)
- Any previous history of ear disease as well as the full standard history.
What is the MC tinnitus?
Rushing, hissing, or buzzing tinnitus - Usually associated with hearing loss.
How is rushing, hissing, or buzzing tinnitus caused?
By pathology in the inner ear, brainstem or auditory cortex. Sometimes can appear with conductive hearing loss.
What is pulsatile tinnitus?
It is caused by noise transmitted from blood vessels close to the ear.
–> ICA, IJV.
Occasionally, can be heard by an observer by using a stethoscope over the ear or neck.
Cracking and popping noises may be associated with what?
- Dysfunction of the Eustachian tube.
2. Rhythmic myoclonus of the muscles in the middle ear or attached to the Eustachian tube.
What should be kept in mind about tinnitus?
It must be distinguished from complex noises (e.g., voices, music) which may constitute AUDITORY HALLUCINATIONS –> psychiatric diagnosis.
Mention some causes of tinnitus.
- Presbyacusis
- Noise-induced hearing loss
- Meniere’s disease
- Ototoxic drugs
- Trauma
- Any cause of conductive hearing loss
- Acoustic neuromas
Mention 3 causes of pulsatile tinnitus.
- Arterial aneurysms
- Arteriovenous malformations
- Glomus tumors of the middle ear
From what must the term “Dizziness” be distinguished?
- Light-headedness
- Pre-syncope
- Pure unsteadiness
Mention 2 features of dizziness that suggest vestibular origin.
- Vertigo –> An hallucination of movement, MC rotational.
2. Dizziness –> Related to movement or position change.
What should be asked when the patient reports dizziness?
It should be established whether or not the dizziness is due to vestibular disease:
- Nature + Severity of disease
- Whether it is persistent or intermittent.
- Duration of attacks (seconds, hours, or days)
- Patterns of events since the onset
- Relation to movement or position, especially lying down.
- Associated symptoms
- DHx including ALCOHOL
- Other ear problems or previous ear surgery
What is the MC type of vertigo?
Rotational - may be tilting or swaying.
Whether it is movement of the person or the surrounding is IRRELEVANT.
Which dizziness is specific to benign paroxysmal positional vertigo?
Dizziness provoked by lying down, rolling over, or sitting up.
How do we figure CENTRAL vestibular lesions?
These are not always easy to distinguish on the history but vertigo is NOT so marked and GAIT disturbances + other neurological symptoms and signs would suggest this.
Mention some otological causes of dizziness.
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo
- Meniere disease
- Vestibular neuronitis
- Trauma (surgery or temporal bone fracture)
- Perilymph fistula
- Middle ear infection
- Otosclerosis
- Syphilis
- Ototoxic drugs
- Acoustic neuromas
Mention some non-otological causes of dizziness/disequillibrium.
- These are often more disequilibrium than dizziness.
- Aging (poor eyesight and proprioception)
- Cerebrovascular disease
- Parkinson’s
- Migraine
- Epilepsy
- Demyelinating disorders
- Hyperventilation
- Drugs –> Cardiovascular, neuroleptic drugs, and alcohol.
In a patient with nasal obstruction, what should be established during history?
- Nose blocked constantly or intermittently.
- Unilateral/bilateral
- Associated discharge
- Relieving/exacerbating factors
- Use of nasal drops or other “per-nasal” substance.
- Don’t miss any previous history of nasal surgery.
Constant nasal obstruction may be a sign of what?
Long standing structural deformity such as deviated septum, nasal polyps, or enlarged turbinates.
Intermittent nasal obstruction may be a sign of what?
Allergic rhinitis and common cold.
What types of nasal discharge are there?
- Watery or mucoid
- Purulent
- Blood stained
Watery or mucoid discharge may be a sign of what?
- Allergic or infective (viral) or Vasomotor rhinitis.
2. A UNILATERAL copious watery discharge may be due to CSF rhinorrhoea.
Purulent discharge may be a sign of what?
Infective rhinosinusitis or foreign body (especially if unilateral).
Blood-stained discharge may be a sign of what?
With unilateral symptoms - tumors, a bleeding diathesis, or trauma.
What is another name for anterior septum?
Little’s area.
What happens in Little’s area?
It is the point of convergence of the anterior ethmoidal artery, the septal branches of the sphenopalantine and superior labial arteries, and the greater palantine artery.
What is the MCC of epistaxis?
Spontaneous rupture of a blood vessel in the nasal mucous membrane.
Mention some causes of epistaxis.
- Trauma from nose picking, surgery, or infection.
- Prolonged bleeding may be caused by anticoagulants, HTN, alcohol, coagulation defects, and hereditary telangiectasia.
- Neoplasia and angiomas of the post-nasal space and nose may present with epistaxis.
With what is sneezing associated?
Most commonly due to viral URI and allergic rhinitis.
Commonly associated with rhinorrhoea and itching of eyes and nose.
What causes anosmia most commonly?
- Nasal polyps - may be caused by head injury disrupting the olfactory fibers emerging through the cribiform plate.
- May be also complicate a viral URI - viral neuropathy.
What is termed “cacosmia”?
The hallucination of an unpleasant smell and may be caused by infection interfering with the olfactory structures.
Mention 3 conditions with saddle nose.
- Wegener
- Congenital syphilis
- Long term snorting of cocaine
What is acne rosacea?
Can cause an enlarged, red, and bulbous rhinophyma. Widening of the nose is an early feature of ACROMEGALY.