Otalgia refers to the clinical symptoms of ear pain. It is broadly divided in two categories which are
primary otalgia (~ 50% 3) - ear pain originating from causes within or near to the ear itself
secondary otalgia / referred otalgia (~50% 3)- ear pain due to causes remote from the ear
Pathology
Causes
The aetiology of otalgia can be broad and variable and depends on if it is primary or secondary.
Primary
external auditory canal cholesteatoma (can be chronic and dull)
foreign bodies lodged in ear canal 3
Secondary
-
compression of nerves (7th and 8th 2)
can in turn be due to various causes such as aberrent vessels, tumours etc.
other nerve related causes - nervus intermedius neuralgia
laryngeal pathology
pharyngeal pathology
-
tonsillar pathology
salivary gland (e.g. parotid gland pathology)
dental pathology
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