outer and middle ear (week 1)

Question 1

what is used to treat auricular haemotoma?

Answer 1

incision and drainage

pressure dressing

antibiotics (to protect cartilage)

risk of cauliflower ear if not resolved (a deformity of the cartilage)

Question 2

what is otitis externa and its treatments and preventions?

Answer 2

inflammation of external auditory meatus

antibiotics/steroid ear drops, use a suction if a lot of discharge.

water or cotton buds are a risk factor

Question 3

what is malignant otitis externa, people at risk and management?

Answer 3

osteomyelitis of the temporal bone, presents with granulations in the EAM

severe pain in the elderly and diabetic

antibiotics for weeks or months (usually ciprofloxacin, classic organism is pseudomonas)

Question 4

otitis media with effusion (glue ear)

Answer 4

sterile fluid in ear

presents with hearing loss and speech delay (condition found in infants mostly)

management - observation for 3 month, if persistent use otovent balloon or a grommet (plastic tube in ear drum - to fix Eustachian tube dysfunction)

Question 5

acute suppurative otitis media

Answer 5

pus in middle ear

pain in the ear (increasing), discharge when drum bursts

observation, if not resolved, antibiotics

Question 6

tympanosclerosis

Answer 6

calcification in tympanic membrane

usually asymptomatic

no management usually

Question 7

chronic supportive otitis media

Answer 7

perforated tympanic membrane or cholesteatoma (skin in the middle ear)

complications include meningitis if spreads, facial palsy, hearing loss, brain abscess

can be caused by infection, trauma or grommet

keep water out of ears, or myringoplasty to repair hole

Question 8

cholesteatoma

Answer 8

eustachian tube dysfunction, normal migration of dead skin out of ear drum doesn’t work

persistent discharge from ear

mastoidectomy (drill into mastoid bone and remove cholesteatoma)

Question 9

otosclerosis

Answer 9

conductive hearing loss, normal tympanic membrane

fixation of stapes (one of the three bones to transfer sound) by extra bone

resolved by hearing aid or stapedectomy

Question 10

facial nerve palsy

Answer 10

facial nerve runs through the ear so compression will effect face (lower motor neuron facial palsy - forehead involved)

caused by infratemporal e.g. cholesteatoma