A 40 year old female is complaining of attacks of lacrimation and watery nasal discharge accompanied by sneezing. She had a severe attack one spring morning that was accompanied by respiratory difficulty and she was admitted to hospital. She received the proper treatment and her condition improved. On examination she had bilateral nasal obstruction by bluish pedunculated masses that were covered by a clear mucous discharge. Diagnosis & reasons  Allergic nasal polypi (history of nasal allergy and the presence of bluish pedunculated masses in the nose) Explain the following manifestations  Lacrimation: nasal allergy is usually accompanied by spring catarrh of the conjunctiva  Sneezing: a reflex due to presence of edematous fluid in the nasal mucosa and one of the symptoms of nasal allergy and occurs in the form attacks with nasal obstruction and a watery nasal discharge  Attack accompanied by respiratory difficulty: the respiratory difficulty is due to bronchial asthma a common condition associated with allergic nasal polypi as both are a type I hypersensitivity  Bluish pedunculated bluish masses: these are the nasal polypi they are bluish because of venous engorgement by the pressure from the edematous fluid in the mucosa

Further examination &/or investigations  Laboratory tests for type I hypersensitivity: skin tests, RAST, serum IgE  CT scan of the nose and the paranasal sinuses to show the extent of the nasal polypi  Nasal endoscopy  Chest X-ray Treatment  Polypectomy by nasal endoscopic surgery and ethmoidectomy  Treatment of allergy by avoiding the cause, hyposensitization, local and systemic steroids, antihistamines  Avoid aspirin and non-steroidal antinflammatory drugs as they aggrevate the type I hypersensitivity

 A 30 year old male had an attack of left severe earache and left loss of hearing together with deviation of the angle of the mouth to the right side and failure to close the left eye. 3 days later, a swelling vesicular in nature appeared in the left external auditory meatus. The condition subsided 10 months later.  CASE 70 Diagnosis & reasons  Left lower motor neuron facial paralysis (deviation of the angle of the mouth to the right side and failure to close the left eye) due to Herpes Zoster Oticus – Ramsay Hunt Syndrome (severe earache, hearing loss, vesicular swelling in the left external auditory canal, duration of the illness is 10 months) Explain the following manifestations  Severe earache: before the appearance of the vesicles on the dermatome of the cutaneous branch of the facial nerve the virus of herpes zoster that was dormant in the geniculate ganglion causes severe inflammation of the facial nerve leading to pain and paralysis  Hearing loss: is a sensorineural hearing loss due to affection of the vestibulocochlear nerve as it passes beside the facial nerve in the internal auditory canal  Vesicular swelling: appears in the area of the cutaneous dermatome of the facial nerve namely the posterior part of the most lateral part of the external auditory canal, the concha and parts of the auricle; once the vesicular erruption appears the pain starts to subside

Further examination &/or investigations  Investigations of the facial nerve (shirmer test, acoustic reflex, topognostic tests, electroneuronography, electromyography)  CT scan to exclude other causes of facial paralysis  Audiogram  Viral antibody titre Treatment  Antivirals  Steroids  Facial nerve exploration and decompression if the electroneuronography shows 90% degeneration of the facial nerve fibers within 3 weeks from the onset of paralysis  Care of the eye during the paralytic period to prevent lagophthalmus (drops, ointment and bandage during sleep)  ss

 CARD FINAL EXAM ON 7 TH DEC  TOPICS EAR NOSE ORAL CAVITY PHARYNX TONSIL