Aetiology of secondary otalgia in Mosul Medical City

Khalid D Hamad,Haitham A Alnoori,Ali A Muttalib Mohammed,Raghdan M D Alhamdani

doi:10.33899/mmed.2013.81310

Abstract

Objectives: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the aetiology of secondary (referred) otalgia. Patients and methods: A case series study of 79 patients clinically diagnosed as secondary otalgia, collected from the Outpatient Department of ENT at Al-Jamhory Teaching Hospital, Mosul/IRAQ, and private clinics, for the period from Jan. 2010 to Sept. 2011. Results: The average age of the patients was 33.3 years with a range of 4-80 years. The peak age incidence was in the fourth decade of life. The study included 34 male patients (43.1%) and 45 females (56.9%) with a ratio of 1:1.3. Temporomandibular joint dysfunction was found to be the main cause of secondary otalgia (37.9%). Pharyngitis (24%), dental pain (17.7%) and cervical spine pain (7.6%) came next in that order. Conclusion: Temporomandibular joint dysfunction, pharyngitis, dental problems and cervical nerve root pain were the commonest causes of secondary otalgia. Moreover, upper aerodigestive tract malignancies should be considered in differential diagnosis. Keywords: Secondary otalgia, referred otalgia, referred ear pain.

Highlights

A ccording to the Talmud, the juice of a kidney was the recommended remedy for 'Otalgia'.1Ear pain can be divided into 2 main types: primary and secondary
The frequency of secondary otalgia increased with age where the peak age of presentation was in the fourth decade of life and thereafter decreased in old age groups (Figure 2)
Temporomandibular joint dysfunction was found to be the main cause of secondary otalgia in 37.9% of patients with a mean age at presentation of 34.7 years

Summary

Introduction

A ccording to the Talmud (fifth century A.D.), the juice of a kidney was the recommended remedy for 'Otalgia'.1. Ear pain (otalgia) can be divided into 2 main types: primary and secondary. Ann Coll Med Mosul December 2013 Vol 39 No 2 an entity whereby the origin of pain comes from the ear itself. In close to 50% of cases, the source of pain does not reside within the ear but rather originates from sources distant from the ear-so called “referred otalgia”.2. Muttalib Mohammed, et al can be likened to an “alarm bell” signaling a head and neck ailment often of benign nature, yet, it may be the earliest warning of a veiled malignancy.[1]

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Results

Conclusion