Localization and
amplification of
sounds and
transmission to
tympanic
membrane.
Middle Ear
Vibration of tympanic membrane
Impedance matching
Inner Ear
Excitation of Hair Receptors.
Stereocilia of the hair
receptors are tightly fixed in a
rigid structure ➝ reticular
lamina + triangular rods of the
Corti + basilar fiber.
In response to sound
waves, basilar
membrane vibrate and
move up and down ➝
inward and outward
movement of the
reticular lamina.
Hair cells to bend toward the longer ones ➝ Excitation
The Auditory Pathway
Differential Diagnosis
Vertigo
FALSE SENSE OF
MOTION, usually
rotational.
Tinnitus
The perception of sound
in the absence of external
stimuli.
May be perceived
as unilateral or
bilateral
originating in the
ears or around the
head
Otorrhea
Mucoid discharge
indicates a perforation
of the tympanic
membrane.
Clear, watery
fluid, especially
when associated
with a history of
trauma or skull
base surgery, is
likely to be CSF.
Purulent discharge
indicates the presence of
infection: Onset of an
acute infections (white),
persistent (yellow or
brown).
Bloody discharge may follow
trauma or occur with
granulation tissue associated
with chronic infection.
A foul-smelling
discharge is
usually
associated with
cholesteatoma or
a neoplasm.
Otalgia
Types of Hearing Loss
Conductive
Hearing
Loss
Impairment of the
physical structures of
the ear that conduct
sound to the cochlea:
ear canal, tympanic
membrane, or middle
ear and the 3 auditory
ossicles.
Malformation of outer ear, ear
canal, or middle ear structures\
Otitis Media\ Poor Eustachian
tube function\ Perforated
eardrum\ Benign tumors\
Impacted earwax\ Infection in
the ear canal\ Foreign body in
the ear\ Otosclerosis
Sensorineural
Hearing
Loss
Impairment of the
cochlea or the
auditory nerve.
Exposure to loud
noise\ Head trauma\
Ototoxic drugs\
Autoimmune inner
ear disease\ Aging
(presbycusis)\
Malformation of the
inner ear\ Meniere’s
Disease\ Tumors
Mixed
Hearing
Loss
Conductive hearing
loss occurs in
combination with
Sensorineural
hearing loss.
Sensorineural
component is
permanent,
while the
conductive
component
can either be
permanent or
temporary.
Microbiology of Ear Infections
Otitis Externa
Acute localized otitis externa
Infection of the hair follicle “ Furuncle”
Staphylococcus aureus
S&S: Sever pain, discharge, hearing loss, and aural fullness.
On examination: Local tenderness, EAC edematous, tender preauricular lymph node, furuncle in the
posterior meatal, and obliterations of the retroauricular groove.
Viruses: Respiratory
syncytial virus,
rhinoviruses, influenza
viruses, and
adenoviruses.
S&S: Fever, irritability, vomiting, anorexia,
cough, pulling or rubbing of the “below 2
years”, otalgia, otorrhea, pain and hearing
loss, upper respiratory symptoms.
Chronic Otitis Media
Otitis
media
with
effusion
S&S: Hearing loss,
conductive hearing
loss, tinnitus, and
bulging or
retraction of
tympanic
membrane.
Self-limiting 80%,
if it persists
(tympanostomy
tube insertion).
Chronic
suppurative
otitis
media
S&S: Hearing loss,
delayed intellectual
development, limited
employability, and
disturbed social life,
fatal if untreated.
Cholesteatoma
Primary acquired cholesteatomas
It happens because of tympanic membrane
retraction which forms a cyst or pouch.
Secondary Acquired cholesteatomas
Happens secondary to the pathologic
changes that happens to the tympanic
membrane: recurrent infections,
perforation of tympanic membrane or
trauma to tympanic membrane.
Congenital cholesteatomas
Caused by the remnants of epithelium that
accumulate during the embryological
development and get trapped in the middle ear
behind the tympanic membrane
Aural polyps
An otic, or aural, polyp is a benign
proliferation of chronic inflammatory
cells and granulation tissue that is
usually lined with benign reactive
epithelium.
Solitary, Polypoid, Reddish mass
granulation tissue with edematous stroma and high density of capillaries
Investigations
Clinical Examination
Otoscope
Tuning fork tests
History
External ear
cleaning their ears with cotton swabs\ foreign body\ local
trauma or recent instrumentation\ Recurrent ear infections\
Regular immersion in cold water
Middle ear
pain, fever, muffled hearing\(URTI)\ Recurrent ear drainage with a strong odour
Inner ear
Recurrent episodes of vertigo with fluctuating hearing loss\ Previous exposure to sustained high
levels of noise\ Bilateral, gradual-onset hearing loss
Audiometer tests
Pure tone audiometry
Speech audiometry
Oto-acoustic emissions
Radiology
Special tests
Management
of
Otitis
Media
Mastoidectomy
Types of mastoidectomy
Simple mastoidectomy:
removing the infected
air cells, and draining
middle ear
Radical mastoidectomy:
removing mastoid air cells,
eardrum, most of middle ear
structures, and ear canal. This
procedure is reserved for
complicated mastoid disease.
Modified radical
mastoidectomy: less
severe form of radical
mastoidectomy involves
removing mastoid air
cells along with some, but
not all, middle ear
structures
Indications
Complications of chronic otitis
media\ Cholesteatoma\
Abnormal growths at the base
of skull.
complications
Facial nerve
paralysis\Sensorineural
hearing loss \Vertigo
(several days)\Titinus