1/57. Gustatory otalgia and wet ear syndrome: a possible cross-innervation after ear surgery. HYPOTHESIS: The chorda tympani and Arnold's nerves have close approximation to each other and their cross-innervation is possible after ear surgery. STUDY DESIGN: A retrospective study was performed with a temporal bone pathology case and two clinical cases as representatives of such a possibility. patients had severe otalgia and wet ear during gustatory stimulation. methods: A temporal bone pathology case was studied under a light microscope. earache and/or wet ear were provoked during gustatory stimulation. Wet ear was tested with iodine-starch reaction after the subject tasted lemon juice. RESULTS: The temporal bone specimen has clusters of regenerated fibers in the tympanic cavity in the area of the chorda tympani and Arnold's nerves, suggesting a possibility of mixing. There are regenerated fibers in the iter chordae anterius, showing successful bridging of the chorda tympani nerves across a long gap. Detachment of the skin over the operated mastoid bowl obscured signs in one clinical case. Another clinical case of gustatory wet ear showed objective evidence of cross-innervation with iodine-starch reaction. CONCLUSION: The detachment procedure and iodine-starch reaction were the proofs that the signs were related to regenerated fibers. This is the first report of gustatory otalgia and wet ear after ear surgery. ( info) |
| A 30-year-old woman with a 10-year history of recurrent bloody diarrhea and documented colitis of the descending colon, consistent with Crohn's disease, presented with an exacerbation of her gastrointestinal disease and an 18-month history of recurrent facial and genital swelling. Her course evolved to include severe ear pain, dysphagia and colonic dysmotility. She was diagnosed with melkersson-rosenthal syndrome and treated with multiple agents. The neurological aspects of her presentation are highlighted, and the melkersson-rosenthal syndrome is reviewed. ( info) |
3/57. An infestation of the mite Sancassania berlesei (Acari: acaridae) in the external auditory canal of a Korean man. We here report the case of a storage mite, Sancassania berlesei, infestation in the external auditory canal of a 46-yr-old male. He complained of feeling a foreign body and itching in the left external auditory canal for 1 mo, with accompanying otalgia for 3 days. Considering the duration of the patient's complaint and the 8-9-day life cycle of the mite, the mites are believed to have lived in the patient's ear for more than 3 generations. ( info) |
4/57. An 8-year-old girl with unilateral facial and ear pain and isolated frontal headaches. An 8 1/2-year-old with chronic but fluctuating unilateral facial pain, earache, frontal headache and facial swelling is presented. Her journey through the health care system provides an instructional lesson for all who deal with patients with unusual or difficult to recognize conditions. ( info) |
5/57. Acute otalgia: a case report of mature termite in the middle ear. Acute otalgia during childhood is one of the most common complaints in general ENT practice. It may occur as a result of acute otitis externa, otitis media or a foreign body. Animate foreign body in the ear canal or in the middle ear usually results in otalgia and hearing loss. We present a rare case of a living mature termite in the middle ear of a 9-year-old girl complaining of intermittent attacks of otalgia associated with a loud cracking sound in the left ear. In this case, a small perforation of the tympanic membrane without a history of previous trauma, infection, or evidence of a foreign body in the external ear raises a suspicion. A careful, time-consumed microscopic examination could show the living creature in the middle ear. Immediate immobilization and removal of the living foreign body are imperative. In conclusion, tympanic membrane perforation and intermittent severe otalgia without history of otitis may lead to a suspicion of any insects in the middle ear. ( info) |
| acromegaly is an uncommon condition, with an annual incidence in the UK of three per million. The gradual onset of the clinical features mean that often friends and relatives are unaware of the underlying pathology. In view of the morbidity, and indeed mortality, arising from undiagnosed cases, general dental practitioners and other healthcare workers should routinely take note of systemic as well as intra-oral changes occurring in their patients when seen on review. The association of paraesthesia, anaesthesia and pain with acromegaly is well documented. However, there appear to be few reports linking acromegaly with orofacial pain or dysaesthesia. This paper describes two such cases. ( info) |
7/57. Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania presenting as otalgia with a sensation of external acoustic meatus obstruction: two cases and a pathophysiologic hypothesis. OBJECTIVE: To describe two cases of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania manifested by otalgia with a sensation of external acoustic meatus obstruction and to suggest that the trigeminal-autonomic reflex is a mechanism for the sensation of ear blockage. BACKGROUND: Maximum pain in chronic paroxysmal hemicrania is most often in the ocular, temporal, maxillary, and frontal regions. It is less often located in the nuchal, occipital, and retro-orbital areas. review of the literature on chronic paroxysmal hemicrania found no reports of pain primarily localized to the ear and associated with a sensation of external acoustic meatus obstruction. methods: The history, physical examination, imaging studies, and successful treatment plan in two patients with otalgia and ear fullness and a subsequent diagnosis of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania are summarized. RESULTS: The first patient was a 42-year-old woman with a 10-year history of unilateral, severe, paroxysmal otalgia occurring five times a day with a duration of 2 to 60 minutes. During an attack, the ear became erythematous and the external acoustic meatus felt obstructed. There were no other associated autonomic signs. The second patient was a 49-year-old woman with a 3-year history of unilateral, severe, paroxysmal otalgia occurring 4 to 15 times a day with a duration of 3 to 10 minutes. During an attack, her ear felt obstructed, and she noted ipsilateral eyelid edema and ptosis. Both patients quickly became pain-free after taking indomethacin and required its continued use to prevent headache recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania may be manifested by otalgia with a sensation of external ear obstruction. When the otalgia is paroxysmal, unilateral, severe, frequent, and associated with autonomic signs, one should consider the diagnosis of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania, especially because of the prompt response to indomethacin. The most important feature to consider when making the diagnosis of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania is the frequent periodicity of discrete, brief attacks of unilateral cephalgia separated by pain-free intervals. It is hypothesized that the sensation of ear obstruction in these patients is due to swelling of the external acoustic meatus mediated through increased blood flow by the trigeminal-autonomic reflex. ( info) |
8/57. Middle ear problems after a Gow-Gates injection. BACKGROUND: knowledge of the potential adverse reactions to mandibular block anesthesia is important in the practice of dentistry. This article presents a complication in the middle ear not previously reported. CASE DESCRIPTION: Unusual middle ear symptoms immediately followed the administration of 1.8 milliliters of 3 percent mepivacaine for a Gow-Gates mandibular block injection. Over the course of 10 days, the patient had complaints of inner ear pressure, inability to equilibrate ear pressure, decreased hearing, pain and severe headache before returning to normal without further complaints and complications. CONCLUSIONS: The cause of the complications was either a hematoma, a technique problem causing trauma and inflammation, an anatomical variation or any combination of these. CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Proper technique, knowledge of the anatomy of the injection area and familiarity with potential complications are important in the administration of local anesthetic. ( info) |
9/57. Geniculate neuralgia: long-term results of surgical treatment. A rare cause of otalgia is geniculate neuralgia. In its most typical form, it is characterized by severe paroxysmal neuralgic pain centered directly in the ear. The pain can be of a gradual onset and of a dull, persistent nature, but occasionally it is sharp and stabbing. When the pain becomes intractable, an operation to surgically excise the nervus intermedius and geniculate ganglion via the middle cranial fossa approach is indicated. The purpose of this article is to review the long-term outcomes in 64 patients who were treated in this manner. Findings indicate that excision of the nervus intermedius and geniculate ganglion can be routinely performed without causing facial paralysis and that it is an effective definitive treatment for intractable geniculate neuralgia. ( info) |
10/57. Typical carcinoid tumor of the larynx occurring with otalgia: a case report. Neuroendocrine neoplasms of the larynx comprise a rare group of tumors that have a controversial history with regard to their classification. The world health organization categorizes these tumors as typical carcinoids, atypical carcinoids, small-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, and paragangliomas. Atypical carcinoids and small-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas are the more common. Only 13 cases of typical carcinoid have been reported. Local excision is sufficient for typical carcinoids and paragangliomas, but atypical carcinoids require neck dissection because of their tendency to metastasize. Small-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas are not cured by local excision, and these patients have the worst prognosis (5-year survival: 5%); their treatment is limited to chemo- and radiotherapy. Because of these variations in tumor behavior and treatment, it is essential that otolaryngologists and pathologists to be able to correctly identify the specific type of tumor in order to optimize patient treatment and survival. We report a case of typical carcinoid and review the pertinent literature on this subject. ( info) |