OMSB ENT (OEENT) key terms

Fluid behind an intact tympanic membrane without signs of acute infection. Often follows acute otitis media or eustachian tube dysfunction and is a leading cause of childhood hearing loss.

An objective test measuring middle-ear compliance as pressure is varied in the ear canal. A flat or shifted curve suggests effusion; a peak near negative pressure suggests eustachian tube dysfunction.

Failure of the tube connecting nasopharynx to middle ear to ventilate or drain properly. Causes negative middle-ear pressure, retracted drum, effusion, and predisposition to barotrauma and chronic ear disease.

Abnormal keratinizing squamous epithelium within the middle ear or mastoid that erodes bone. Typically presents with foul discharge and marginal tympanic membrane retraction, and requires surgical removal.

Persistent middle-ear inflammation with a perforated tympanic membrane and chronic discharge lasting weeks or longer. May be safe or unsafe (with cholesteatoma) and can cause conductive hearing loss.

Surgical repair of the tympanic membrane, often using fascia or cartilage graft, with or without reconstruction of the ossicular chain, to restore hearing and create a dry, intact ear.

Surgical removal of mastoid air cells, commonly to eradicate cholesteatoma or uncontrolled infection. Variants include canal wall up and canal wall down, each with different follow-up and hearing implications.

Abnormal bone remodeling at the stapes footplate causing progressive conductive hearing loss, often in young adults and sometimes worsened in pregnancy. Audiometry shows a conductive pattern with a normal tympanic membrane.

A characteristic dip in bone-conduction thresholds around 2000 Hz seen in otosclerosis that is not true sensorineural loss. It can disappear after successful stapes surgery, so it should not exclude a conductive diagnosis.

Behavioral measurement of hearing thresholds across frequencies by air and bone conduction. The gap between them defines conductive versus sensorineural loss and guides diagnosis and rehabilitation.

Rapid onset of sensorineural hearing loss, usually unilateral, over hours to days. It is an otologic emergency; prompt steroids and imaging are standard, and prognosis depends on severity and timing.

Benign tumor of Schwann cells on the vestibular nerve, usually in the internal auditory canal. Causes unilateral sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and imbalance; managed by observation, radiation, or surgery.

Perception of sound without an external source, commonly associated with hearing loss, noise exposure, or medication. Evaluation looks for treatable causes such as impacted wax or vascular lesions; management is usually supportive.

Brief episodes of rotational vertigo triggered by head position changes, caused by displaced otoconia in a semicircular canal. The Dix-Hallpike test confirms it and canalith repositioning maneuvers are curative.

A positional test in which the patient's head is turned and lowered rapidly to provoke nystagmus. A positive result with characteristic latency and fatigability supports posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

A sequence of guided head and body rotations that moves displaced otoconia out of a semicircular canal. It is a first-line treatment for posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo.

A disorder of the inner ear characterized by episodic vertigo, fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss, tinnitus, and aural fullness. Management includes salt restriction, diuretics, and intratympanic therapy for refractory cases.

Bleeding from the nose, most often from Kiesselbach plexus in the anterior septum. Posterior bleeding is heavier and may require packing or arterial ligation; control hypertension and review anticoagulants.

Placement of absorbable or nonabsorbable material in the nasal cavity to tamponade bleeding or support healing after surgery. Posterior packs carry risks of hypoxia, toxic shock, and discomfort.

A locally aggressive, highly vascular benign tumor of adolescent males presenting with recurrent epistaxis and nasal obstruction. Biopsy is avoided; imaging shows a characteristic enhancing mass, and treatment is usually embolization then resection.

Benign inflammatory outgrowths of nasal mucosa causing obstruction, anosmia, and rhinorrhea. Often linked to asthma and aspirin sensitivity; treatment is intranasal steroids with surgery for refractory disease.

Sinus and nasal inflammation lasting twelve weeks or more with obstruction, discharge, facial pain, or smell loss. Diagnosis is clinical, supported by endoscopy or CT, and treated with saline, steroids, and sometimes surgery.

Minimally invasive surgery using an endoscope to open obstructed sinus ostia and remove diseased tissue while preserving normal mucosa. It is used when medical therapy for chronic rhinosinusitis fails.

Infection of tissue behind the orbital septum, usually spreading from ethmoid sinusitis. Features include proptosis, painful eye movement, and vision change; it needs urgent antibiotics and sometimes drainage.

Displacement of the nasal septum from the midline, which may cause obstruction, snoring, or recurrent epistaxis. Surgery (septoplasty) is considered when symptoms are persistent and bothersome.

Surgical correction of a deviated nasal septum to improve airflow. It is distinct from rhinoplasty, which reshapes the external nose, though the two are sometimes combined.

Surgical removal of the palatine tonsils, indicated for recurrent throat infections meeting frequency criteria, obstructive sleep apnea, or suspected malignancy. Postoperative bleeding is the key complication to counsel about.

A collection of pus between the tonsil capsule and pharyngeal muscle, causing severe sore throat, trismus, and a displaced uvula. Treatment is drainage plus antibiotics.

Repeated upper-airway collapse during sleep causing oxygen desaturation and daytime sleepiness. In children, adenotonsillar hypertrophy is a common cause and adenotonsillectomy is often curative.

Removal of enlarged adenoids causing nasal obstruction, mouth breathing, recurrent otitis media, or sleep-disordered breathing in children. Often combined with tonsillectomy.

The most common cause of stridor in infants, due to floppy supraglottic tissue that collapses on inspiration. Stridor worsens when supine or feeding; most cases resolve without surgery.

A harsh, noisy breathing sound from turbulent airflow in a narrowed airway. Inspiratory stridor points to the larynx, expiratory to the trachea or bronchi, and biphasic suggests fixed obstruction.

Inhaled material lodged in the airway, often in young children, causing sudden cough, wheeze, or unilateral reduced breath sounds. It is a clinical diagnosis; urgent bronchoscopy is both diagnostic and therapeutic.

Weakness of vocal fold movement from nerve injury, often after thyroid or thoracic surgery. It causes hoarseness and can cause aspiration; bilateral palsy may present with stridor.

Altered voice quality from laryngeal dysfunction, including nodules, polyps, infection, or malignancy. Persistent hoarseness beyond a few weeks, especially with smoking, warrants laryngoscopy to exclude cancer.

Malignancy of the larynx, most often squamous cell carcinoma related to smoking and alcohol. Presents with persistent hoarseness, odynophagia, or neck mass; diagnosis is by laryngoscopy and biopsy.

Surgical removal of cervical lymph node levels for regional control of head and neck cancer. It may be radical or selective, and the choice depends on tumor site and nodal involvement.

A slow-growing benign salivary tumor, most common in the parotid, presenting as a painless cheek or preauricular mass. Superficial parotidectomy is standard; enucleation risks recurrence and facial nerve injury.

Weakness of facial muscles from nerve dysfunction, which may be idiopathic, infectious, or due to tumor or surgery. Distinguishing peripheral from central palsy and excluding malignancy are key steps.