Ursachen und Diagnostik der Otalgie

Abstract

Otalgia is the sensation of pain in the ear, while referred otalgia is pain felt in the ear but originating from a nonotologic source. Ear pain is a diagnostic problem when examination of the ear shows no pathology. Pain in the ear can be caused by inflammation of the external meatus or the middle ear. Nonotogenic otalgia may be due to referred or reflex pain, neuralgia, or to a psychogenic problem. Otalgia may be referred also from primary carcinoma of the head and neck. A thorough understanding of the anatomy of the head and neck is required. Referred pain is due to irritative lesions involving the fifth, ninth, or tenth cranial nerves and spinal nerves C2 and C3. If pathologic problems in the area supplied by these nerves have been ruled out, the neuralgia should be considered in the differential diagnosis. Psychogenic factors must be identified and treated before any type of surgical therapy is recommended. A basic knowledge of neuroanatomy, with emphasis on the cranial nerves, their course, distribution, and function, is also necessary. The complexity of this field may sometimes require the treating physician to call for consultations from colleagues in the fields of oral surgery, neurology, or neurosurgery. The therapy depends of the causes of the ear-ache.

Transtympanic Tripod-shaped Angiocatheter Insertion for Patients With Intractable Patulous Eustachian Tube

“…The PET was first described by Schwartze in 1864, and the incidence has been known to be about 6% of the population (2,8,9). The possible etiologies of PET are atrophy of peritubal fat tissue, loss of the pterygoid venous plexus, and peritubal musculature dysfunction associated with aging, chronic inflammation, weight loss, and pregnancy.…”

“…Conservative methods include reassurance, lifestyle guidance such as Valsalva's maneuver with/ without weight gain, and discontinuation of decongestant and/or nasal steroid sprays. Several medications such as topical estrogen, saline, or anticholinergic nasal sprays, and insufflation with boric or salicylic acid have been reported to alleviate symptoms of PET (8)(9)(10). As for the intractable PET cases that do not respond to either conservative treatment of medication, simple procedures such as placing a paper patch on the tympanic membrane to prevent tympanophonia due to vibration (11,12), or inserting ventilation tube insertion to suppress the sense of pressure ( 13) may be effective to control troublesome symptoms.…”