Otalgia causes

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Raviteja Guddeti, M.B.B.S [2]

Overview

Otalgia can be caused by diseases involving the ear (e.g otitis media, otitis externa) or can be caused by diseases that cause referred pain to the ear (e.g dental caries, pharyngitis).

Causes

Common Causes

Less Common Causes

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	Acute Coronary Syndrome^[2], Angina
Chemical / poisoning	No underlying causes
Dermatologic	Eczema, Psoriasis, Furunculosis
Drug Side Effect	Reaction to topical agents, gadopentetate, Vinflunine, Deferasirox, Ciclesonide, Butorphanol, galsulfase, Tretinoin
Ear Nose Throat	Acute otitis externa (Swimmer’s ear), Acute otitis media, Auricular perichondritis, Cerumen impaction, Cholesteatoma, Chronic otitis externa, Ear canal foreign body, Eustachian tube dysfunction, Eustachian tube syringitis, Furunculosis, Herpes Zoster Oticus^[3], Laryngitis, Malignant otitis externa,Mastoiditis, Myringitis bullosa, Pahryngitis, Retropharyngeal abscess, Rhinitis, perforated eardrum, Sinusitis, Sterile middle ear effusion, Tonsilitis, Tympanostomy tube obstruction, Acoustic neuroma,Ear Trauma, Suppurative otitis media, Polyps arising from tympanic membrane
Endocrine	No underlying causes
Environmental	Ear Trauma, High altitude sickness, acute barotrauma
Gastroenterologic	Esophagitis
Genetic	No underlying causes
Hematologic	No underlying causes
Iatrogenic	No underlying causes
Infectious Disease	Bacterial: Auricular erysipelas, Cellulitis, Cervical adenitis, Cervical spine infection, Ear, nose, throat (ENT) deep-space infection, Syphilitic meningitis, Lymphadenitis, Parotiditis, Sialoadenitis,Furunculosis, Upper respiratory tract infection Viral: Mumps, Varicella, Lymphadenitis, Parotiditis, Sialoadenitis, Herpes Zoster Oticus, Myringitis bullosa, Ramsay Hunt syndrome
Musculoskeletal / Ortho	Cervical spine disease, Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)
Neurologic	Trigeminal Neuralgia, Acoustic neuroma, Syphilitic meningitis, Arnold nerve cough syndrome,Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
Nutritional / Metabolic	No underlying causes
Obstetric/Gynecologic	No underlying causes
Oncologic	Metastatic tumor, Ear tumor, Laryngeal carcinoma, Tongue cancer, Tonsil cancer, Glomus jugulare tumor, Head and neck cancers
Opthalmologic	No underlying causes
Overdose / Toxicity	No underlying causes
Psychiatric	Functional disorders
Pulmonary	No underlying causes
Renal / Electrolyte	No underlying causes
Rheum / Immune / Allergy	Arthritis, Wegener granulomatosis
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	Cerumen impaction, Cholesteatoma, Head injury, Perforated eardrum
Urologic	No underlying causes
Dental	Dental caries, Tooth infection
Miscellaneous	Post-tonsillectomy/adenoidectomy, Bell palsy, Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis,Keratosis obturans, Carotidynia, Eagle syndrome ^[4]

Causes in Alphabetical Order^[5]^[6]

Acoustic neuroma
Acute otitis externa (Swimmer’s ear)
Acute otitis media
Arthritis of the temporomandibular joint
Auricular erysipelas
Auricular perichondritis
Cellulitis
Cerumen impaction
Cervical spine disease
Cholesteatoma
Chronic otitis externa
Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis
Ear canal foreign body
Eczema
Eustachian tube dysfunction
Eustachian tube syringitis
Furunculosis
Herpes zoster oticus
High altitude sickness
Keratosis obturans
Malignant otitis externa
Mastoiditis
Mumps
Myringitis bullosa
Other acute barotrauma
Psoriasis
Ramsay Hunt syndrome
Reaction to topical agents
Perforated eardrum
Sterile middle ear effusion
Suppurative otitis media
Trauma
Tretinoin
Tumor
Tympanostomy tube obstruction
Varicella
Vinflunine

Referred Pain

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 Ely JW, Hansen MR, Clark EC (2008). “Diagnosis of ear pain”. Am Fam Physician. 77 (5): 621–8. PMID 18350760.
↑ Sheikh M, Adlakha S, Chahal M, Bruhl S, Pandya U, Saeed B (2010). ““Cardiac otalgia”: acute coronary syndrome masquerading as bilateral ear pain”. Cardiol J. 17 (6): 623–4. PMID 21154267.
↑ Yoshioka A, Kitagawa Y, Kawada J, Negami T, Hirose G (1990). “[A case of unilateral VIIIth, IXth and Xth cranial nerve involvement with herpes zoster]”. Rinsho Shinkeigaku (in Japanese). 30 (4): 413–5. PMID 2167188. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
↑ Mayrink G, Figueiredo EP, Sato FR, Moreira RW (2012). “Cervicofacial pain associated with Eagle’s syndrome misdiagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia”. Oral Maxillofac Surg. 16 (2): 207–10. doi:10.1007/s10006-011-0276-7. PMID 21720752. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
↑ Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:77 ISBN 1591032016
↑ Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:68 ISBN 140510368X
↑ Sheikh M, Adlakha S, Chahal M, Bruhl S, Pandya U, Saeed B (2010). ““Cardiac otalgia”: acute coronary syndrome masquerading as bilateral ear pain”. Cardiol J. 17 (6): 623–4. PMID 21154267.
↑ Han DG (2010). “Pain around the ear in Bell’s palsy is referred pain of facial nerve origin: the role of nervi nervorum”. Med. Hypotheses. 74 (2): 235–6. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2009.06.027. PMID 19932939. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
↑ Satar B, Arslan HH, Ugurel S, Hidir Y (2012). “TMJ herniation associated with lymphangioma of the parotid region”. J Craniofac Surg. 23 (2): e67–9. doi:10.1097/SCS.0b013e31824683ef. PMID 22446461. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

Template:WH Template:WS

[pmid18350760-1] 1.0 ^1.1 Ely JW, Hansen MR, Clark EC (2008). “Diagnosis of ear pain”. Am Fam Physician. 77 (5): 621–8. PMID 18350760.

[pmid21154267-2] Sheikh M, Adlakha S, Chahal M, Bruhl S, Pandya U, Saeed B (2010). ““Cardiac otalgia”: acute coronary syndrome masquerading as bilateral ear pain”. Cardiol J. 17 (6): 623–4. PMID 21154267.

[pmid2167188-3] Yoshioka A, Kitagawa Y, Kawada J, Negami T, Hirose G (1990). “[A case of unilateral VIIIth, IXth and Xth cranial nerve involvement with herpes zoster]”. Rinsho Shinkeigaku (in Japanese). 30 (4): 413–5. PMID 2167188. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

[4] Mayrink G, Figueiredo EP, Sato FR, Moreira RW (2012). “Cervicofacial pain associated with Eagle’s syndrome misdiagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia”. Oral Maxillofac Surg. 16 (2): 207–10. doi:10.1007/s10006-011-0276-7. PMID 21720752. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

[5] Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:77 ISBN 1591032016

[6] Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:68 ISBN 140510368X

[7] Sheikh M, Adlakha S, Chahal M, Bruhl S, Pandya U, Saeed B (2010). ““Cardiac otalgia”: acute coronary syndrome masquerading as bilateral ear pain”. Cardiol J. 17 (6): 623–4. PMID 21154267.

[8] Han DG (2010). “Pain around the ear in Bell’s palsy is referred pain of facial nerve origin: the role of nervi nervorum”. Med. Hypotheses. 74 (2): 235–6. doi:10.1016/j.mehy.2009.06.027. PMID 19932939. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

[9] Satar B, Arslan HH, Ugurel S, Hidir Y (2012). “TMJ herniation associated with lymphangioma of the parotid region”. J Craniofac Surg. 23 (2): e67–9. doi:10.1097/SCS.0b013e31824683ef. PMID 22446461. Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)

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