ABOHNS Otolaryngology flashcards

39 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Sistrunk procedure

Excision of a thyroglossal duct cyst with the central body of the hyoid bone and the tract up to the foramen cecum; reduces recurrence compared with cyst excision alone.

Danger space

Potential neck space between the alar and prevertebral fascia extending from the skull base to the mediastinum; infection can spread rapidly and cause mediastinitis.

Lemierre syndrome

Septic thrombophlebitis of the internal jugular vein, usually from Fusobacterium necrophorum after an oropharyngeal infection, with septic emboli to the lungs.

Second branchial cleft cyst

Most common branchial anomaly; presents as a lateral neck mass anterior to the sternocleidomastoid, with a tract extending toward the tonsillar fossa.

Weber test

Tuning fork on the midline forehead; lateralizes to the ear with conductive loss or to the better-hearing ear in unilateral sensorineural loss.

Dix-Hallpike maneuver

Patient seated, head turned and rapidly laid supine with neck extension; provokes torsional nystagmus in posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

Sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Sensorineural loss of at least 30 dB across three contiguous frequencies developing within 72 hours; treated urgently with corticosteroids, sometimes intratympanic.

Carhart notch

Apparent bone-conduction threshold elevation near 2000 Hz seen in otosclerosis; it is an artifact of stapes fixation rather than true cochlear loss.

Ostiomeatal complex

Common drainage pathway for the maxillary, anterior ethmoid, and frontal sinuses; obstruction is a key mechanism in chronic rhinosinusitis.

Lund-Mackay score

CT staging for chronic rhinosinusitis scoring each sinus 0–2 plus ostiomeatal complex 0 or 2, with a maximum total of 24.

Beta-2 transferrin

Protein found almost exclusively in cerebrospinal fluid; used to confirm suspected CSF rhinorrhea from a skull base defect.

Allergic fungal rhinosinusitis

Chronic eosinophilic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps, allergic mucin containing fungal hyphae, and bone expansion on imaging; managed with surgery and steroids.

Recurrent laryngeal nerve

Branch of the vagus supplying all intrinsic laryngeal muscles except the cricothyroid; left side loops under the aortic arch and is longer.

Spasmodic dysphonia

Focal laryngeal dystonia; adductor type causes strained-strangled voice breaks, treated with botulinum toxin injection into the thyroarytenoid muscles.

Reinke space

Superficial lamina propria of the vocal fold; fluid accumulation or scarring here impairs the mucosal wave and causes dysphonia.

Paradoxical vocal fold motion

Inappropriate adduction of the vocal folds during inspiration causing stridor and dyspnea; treated with behavioral and speech therapy rather than surgery.

Extranodal extension

Tumor breaching the lymph node capsule; in head and neck cancer it is an adverse feature prompting adjuvant chemoradiation rather than radiation alone.

p16 immunohistochemistry

Surrogate marker for high-risk human papillomavirus in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma; positivity correlates with improved prognosis and treatment de-escalation trials.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma

Salivary malignancy with cribriform histology, prominent perineural invasion, and late distant metastasis, often to the lungs, despite slow local growth.

Sentinel lymph node biopsy

Injection of tracer to identify the first draining node; used in clinically N0 early oral cavity cancer to stage the neck and avoid elective dissection.

Marginal mandibular nerve

Branch of the facial nerve running near the inferior border of the mandible; injury causes weakness of the depressor anguli oris and lower lip.

Pes anserinus

Point where the facial nerve divides into temporofacial and cervicofacial trunks after exiting the stylomastoid foramen; landmark during parotid surgery.

Spreader graft

Cartilage graft placed between the upper lateral cartilages and septum to widen the internal nasal valve and improve the airway.

Bilobed flap

Double transposition flap used to repair small nasal defects; recruits adjacent skin while limiting tension and trapdoor deformity at the recipient site.

Rule of 10s

Cleft lip repair timing criteria: age at least 10 weeks, weight at least 10 pounds, and hemoglobin at least 10 g/dL.

Steeple sign

Narrowing of the subglottic airway on an anteroposterior neck radiograph, characteristic of croup (laryngotracheobronchitis).

Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma

Highly vascular benign tumor in adolescent males causing epistaxis and nasal obstruction; diagnosed by imaging and treated with embolization and endoscopic resection.

Cotton-Myer grading

Four-grade endoscopic scale for subglottic stenosis based on the percentage of lumen obstruction, from grade I (up to 50%) to grade IV (no lumen).

Apnea-hypopnea index

Number of apneas plus hypopneas per hour of sleep; an index of at least 5 with symptoms or at least 15 alone defines obstructive sleep apnea.

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation

Implanted device that activates the hypoglossal nerve during inspiration to open the airway; used in CPAP-intolerant patients with favorable drug-induced sleep endoscopy.

Friedman tongue position

Four-grade clinical scale of oropharyngeal crowding based on visibility of the tonsils, uvula, and soft palate; helps predict sleep apnea surgery outcomes.

Superior parathyroid glands

Usually located posterior to the upper thyroid pole; arise from the fourth pharyngeal pouch and are more constant in position than the inferior glands.

Calcitonin

Tumor marker for medullary thyroid carcinoma, arising from parafollicular C cells; elevated levels prompt screening for RET mutations and MEN2.

Trousseau sign

Carpal spasm produced by occluding the brachial artery with a blood pressure cuff; indicates hypocalcemia after thyroidectomy.

Bethesda system

Six-category cytologic reporting system for thyroid fine-needle aspiration, from nondiagnostic to malignant, guiding the need for surgery.

Type I hypersensitivity

IgE-mediated immediate allergic reaction with mast cell degranulation; responsible for allergic rhinitis, asthma, and anaphylaxis.

Hereditary angioedema

Bradykinin-mediated swelling from C1 inhibitor deficiency; does not respond to epinephrine or antihistamines and is treated with C1 inhibitor, icatibant, or ecallantide.

Anaphylaxis treatment

Intramuscular epinephrine 0.01 mg/kg (maximum 0.3–0.5 mg) into the lateral thigh is first-line; antihistamines and corticosteroids are adjuncts only.

Sublingual immunotherapy

Allergen extract placed under the tongue to induce tolerance; modifies the disease course and is an alternative to subcutaneous immunotherapy for allergic rhinitis.