Temporal bone fracture with hemotympanum.This otoscopic view is of a right ear with two pathologic entities. Anterior to the malleus at the top of the photograph is a groove in the bone of the external auditory canal external auditory canal n. See ear canal. that represents a fracture. The tympanic membrane is intact, but it has a dark blue, almost black, color, indicating that it is filled with blood. When associated with a history of trauma, hemotympanum is pathognomonic pathognomonic /pa·thog·no·mon·ic/ (path?ug-no-mon´ik) specifically distinctive or characteristic of a disease or pathologic condition; denoting a sign or symptom on which a diagnosis can be made. of a temporal bone fracture. Hemotympanum by itself must be distinguished from hemorrhage into the ear caused by leukemia, the administration of anticoagulants, or hemoptysis Hemoptysis Definition Hemoptysis is the coughing up of blood or bloody sputum from the lungs or airway. It may be either self-limiting or recurrent. Massive hemoptysis is defined as 200-600 mL of blood coughed up within a period of 24 hours or less. in cases of advanced tuberculosis. The differential diagnosis includes blue eardrum and cholesterol granuloma. The treatment of hemotympanum itself is conservative. Prophylactic antibiotics are often given to prevent infection. The blood usually resolves spontaneously within 4 weeks. If serous otitis persists longer than 1 month, myringotomy and insertion of a ventilating tube for a few weeks may be necessary. Fracture of the temporal bone detected by otoscopy or imaging requires no treatment unless there are other symptoms of facial palsy, conductive hearing loss Conductive hearing loss A type of medically treatable hearing loss in which the inner ear is usually normal, but there are specific problems in the middle or outer ears that prevent sound from getting to the inner ear in a normal way. , perilymphatic perilymphatic /peri·lym·phat·ic/ (-lim-fat´ik) 1. pertaining to the perilymph. 2. around a lymphatic vessel. per·i·lym·phat·ic adj. 1. fistula, cerebrospinal fluid otorhinorrhea, vertigo, or tinnitus. From Gap, France (Dr. Deguine), and the Pulec Ear Clinic, Los Angeles, (Dr. Pulec). |
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