Ear foreign body

Background

• Usually children 6 yo or younger

Clinical Features

• Caregiver often reports seeing child put something in the ear
• Decreased hearing or otalgia
• More common on right (hand dominant) side
• May have otorrhea or bleeding

Differential Diagnosis

Ear Diagnoses

External

• Auricular hematoma
• Auricular perichondritis
• Cholesteatoma
• Contact dermatitis
• Ear foreign body
• Herpes zoster oticus (Ramsay Hunt syndrome)
• Malignant otitis externa
• Otitis externa
• Otomycosis
• Tympanic membrane rupture
  • Otic barotrauma

Internal

• Acute otitis media
  • Bullous myringitis
• Chronic otitis media
• Mastoiditis

Inner/vestibular

• Labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis
• Meniere's disease
• Sudden sensorineural hearing loss

Diagnosis

• Typically seen on visual inspection or otoscopy
• Check other ear / nares

See Also

• Foreign bodies