Key Points 1. Key landmarks for a mastoidectomy are the tegmen, sigmoid sinus, lateral semicircular canal, incus, and posterior canal wall. 2. A mastoidectomy is the surgical removal of mastoid air cells. It is indicated for certain types of infection,…
Key Points Pathophysiology and etiology of the complications of otitis media (OM) OM results in complications by different mechanisms. Preformed pathways increase the risk of spread of infection from the middle ear and mastoid to other areas. The three main…
Key Points Essentials of diagnosis of otitis media: Middle ear effusion must be present as diagnosed by pneumatic otoscopy or tympanometry with Moderate to severe bulging of the tympanic membrane or new otorrhea not associated with otitis externa or Mild…
Key Points 1. Younger patients with post-lingual deafness and a shorter duration of severe to profound hearing loss have a greater likelihood of detecting speech after cochlear implantation. 2. Broadly speaking, individuals who have significant hearing loss and limited benefit…
Key Points 1. A hearing aid consultation with an audiologist is recommended for any patient who exhibits hearing loss and complains of difficulty communicating. 2. The patient’s type, configuration, and severity of hearing loss, their communication needs, and lifestyle all…
Key Points 1. Characteristics of Nystagmus in Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo (BPPV): nystagmus in posterior canal BPPV is a torsional, up-beating positional nystagmus triggered by the Dix-Hallpike test with the affected ear down. It has a paroxysmal quality, building to…
Key Points 1. Tinnitus is a relatively common disorder, with up to 15% of the population suffering from some degree of abnormal perception. 2. Most subjective tinnitus is hypothesized to result from changes in peripheral auditory function leading to central…
Key Points 1. When evaluating a patient with hearing loss, perform tuning fork tests (Weber and Rinne) to help determine the type of hearing loss. If this does not agree with the audiogram, discuss with the audiologist. 2. It is…
Key Points 1. There are two main types of hearing loss: conductive and sensorineural. Mixed hearing loss has both conductive and sensorineural components. 2. The patient’s ability to understand speech is measured by word and sentence recognition tests. 3. The…
Key Points 1. The ear is anatomically divided into the outer, middle, and inner ear. The outer ear begins at the auricle and ends at the tympanic membrane; the middle ear consists of the tympanic cavity, with the ossicular chain…