WACS ORL Membership key terms

Reduced sound transmission to the inner ear caused by obstruction, tympanic membrane perforation, or ossicular disease. Air conduction thresholds worsen while bone conduction stays near normal, producing an air-bone gap.

Hearing loss from damage to cochlear hair cells or the auditory nerve. Air and bone conduction thresholds fall together, with no air-bone gap, and speech discrimination is often disproportionately poor.

Behavioural test measuring the softest tones heard at set frequencies through headphones and a bone vibrator. It defines degree, type, and configuration of hearing loss and is the basis for rehabilitation planning.

Objective measurement of middle-ear admittance while pressure in the sealed ear canal is varied. Curves are classified as types A, B, or C to indicate normal function, effusion, or negative middle-ear pressure.

Low-intensity sounds generated by outer hair cell motility and recorded with a probe microphone in the ear canal. Present emissions suggest healthy cochlear function; absent ones prompt further testing, especially in newborn screening.

Far-field recording of neural activity evoked by sound clicks or tones, used to estimate hearing thresholds and screen for retrocochlear pathology. It is objective, requires no voluntary response, and is useful in infants.

Rapid loss of at least 30 dB across three contiguous frequencies within 72 hours, usually unilateral and idiopathic. It is an otologic emergency treated with corticosteroids, oral or intratympanic, plus imaging when indicated.

Benign tumour arising from Schwann cells of the vestibular division of the eighth cranial nerve. It causes unilateral sensorineural loss, tinnitus, and imbalance; small tumours may be observed or treated with radiosurgery.

Brief spinning vertigo provoked by head position change when otoconia displace into a semicircular canal. The Dix-Hallpike test confirms it and canalith repositioning manoeuvres are curative in most patients.

Objective recording of eye movements with infrared cameras during positional, caloric, and tracking tasks. It localises vestibular lesions and distinguishes peripheral from central causes of vertigo.

Three-neuron arc that stabilises gaze by driving eye movements opposite to head motion. Its gain and timing can be measured by head impulse testing and are reduced in vestibular loss.

Idiopathic disorder of the inner ear defined by episodic vertigo, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. Low-salt diet, diuretics, and intratympanic therapies are mainstays of symptom control.

Delivery of medication, usually a corticosteroid or gentamicin, through the tympanic membrane into the middle ear for inner-ear effect. It is used for sudden hearing loss and refractory vertigo.

Reconstruction of the ossicular chain using a prosthesis to restore sound transmission when the malleus, incus, or stapes is eroded or fixed. Success depends on an intact, mobile stapes footplate.

Repair of a tympanic membrane perforation, often with graft material such as fascia, aiming to restore an intact sound-conducting mechanism. Ossicular status determines whether hearing improves.

A defect in the eardrum from infection, trauma, or pressure change. It may cause conductive loss and discharge, and most traumatic perforations heal spontaneously if kept dry.

Keratinising squamous epithelium trapped in the middle ear or mastoid, which expands and erodes bone. It produces chronic foul discharge and conductive loss and requires surgical removal.

Surgical opening of mastoid air cells to remove cholesteatoma or infection. Canal wall up and canal wall down variants differ in exposure, recurrence risk, and follow-up burden.

Fluid in the middle ear without acute infection, common in young children and often causing conductive loss and delayed speech. Persistent bilateral cases may need ventilation tubes.

Small tube inserted through the tympanic membrane to equalise middle-ear pressure and drain effusion. It is used for persistent otitis media with effusion and recurrent acute infections.

Removal of enlarged adenoid tissue, often combined with tonsillectomy, to relieve nasal obstruction and recurrent infection. It is a common adjunct in children with persistent middle-ear effusion.

Universal objective testing, usually with otoacoustic emissions or automated auditory brainstem response, before discharge. It enables early identification and intervention for congenital hearing loss.

Repetitive upper airway collapse during sleep causing apnoeas, hypopnoeas, and oxygen desaturation. Diagnosis requires sleep study; adenotonsillectomy is first-line surgery in children.

Overnight recording of brain activity, breathing, oxygen saturation, and limb movement that quantifies sleep stages and apnoea severity. The apnoea-hypopnoea index guides treatment decisions.

Flexible endoscopy under light sedation that maps the sites and pattern of upper airway collapse. Findings guide selection of surgical or device therapy for obstructive sleep apnoea.

Device delivering pressurised air through a mask to splint the upper airway open during sleep. It is the standard treatment for moderate to severe obstructive sleep apnoea when tolerated.

Surgical reshaping of the soft palate and uvula to enlarge the retropalatal airway. It reduces snoring and apnoea in selected patients but is not a guaranteed cure.

Office examination of the nasal cavity, pharynx, and larynx with a thin flexible scope. It is central to assessing airway, voice, and swallowing complaints and allows biopsy or sampling.

Examination of the nasal passages and sinus ostia with a rigid or flexible endoscope. It identifies polyps, purulent discharge, and anatomical narrowing and is essential before sinus surgery.

Endoscopic opening of blocked sinus ostia and removal of diseased tissue to restore ventilation and drainage. It is used when maximal medical therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis fails.

Inflammation of the nose and paranasal sinuses lasting at least twelve weeks with obstruction, discharge, facial pain, or smell loss. Diagnosis is clinical, supported by endoscopy or imaging.

Benign inflammatory outgrowths of nasal mucosa causing obstruction and anosmia, often with asthma or aspirin sensitivity. Treatment combines corticosteroids with surgery for refractory disease.

Bleeding from the nasal vasculature, most often from Little's area anteriorly. Management proceeds from pressure and cautery to packing and, for refractory posterior bleeding, arterial ligation or embolisation.

Surgical correction of a deviated nasal septum to relieve obstruction, improve access for sinus surgery, or control bleeding. It is distinct from rhinoplasty, which reshapes the external nose.

Surgery reshaping the bony and cartilaginous framework of the nose for appearance or function. Planning considers airway patency, tip support, and the patient's realistic expectations.

Direct or indirect visualisation of the larynx, by mirror, flexible scope, or rigid endoscope, to assess the vocal folds and airway. Suspicious lesions require biopsy under anaesthesia.

Stroboscopic illumination combined with video recording to observe vocal fold vibration and mucosal wave. It distinguishes functional from structural voice disorders and guides phonosurgery.

Weakness or immobility of one or both vocal folds from recurrent laryngeal nerve injury or disease. Unilateral palsy causes hoarseness and aspiration; bilateral palsy threatens the airway.

Structured behavioural treatment by a speech-language pathologist to improve vocal technique, hygiene, and efficiency. It is first-line for muscle tension dysphonia and adjunctive after phonosurgery.

Squamous carcinoma of the glottis, supraglottis, or subglottis, often linked to smoking and alcohol. Persistent hoarseness warrants laryngoscopy; treatment is surgery or radiotherapy by stage.

Surgical removal of cervical lymph node levels to stage or treat regional metastasis from head and neck cancer. Selective dissections spare non-involved levels to reduce morbidity.

Transfer of tissue with its own blood supply, reattached by microvascular anastomosis, to rebuild large surgical defects. It restores form and function after major head and neck resection.

System classifying tumour size and invasion, regional node involvement, and distant metastasis. Stage determines prognosis and whether surgery, radiotherapy, or systemic therapy is offered.

Regular case conference where surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, and pathologists agree on diagnosis and treatment plans. It is a governance standard for complex cancer care.

Obtaining a patient's voluntary agreement after explaining diagnosis, proposed treatment, alternatives, and material risks in understandable terms. It must be documented and revisited if the plan changes.