Chronic Otitis Media
Alternate Names : Persistent Otitis Media, Recurrent Otitis Media, Glue Ear
How is the condition diagnosed?
There are two main ways to diagnose chronic otitis media.
The first is a physical
exam, which will find fluid behind the eardrum and poor movement of
the eardrum. The second way is to measure the amount of eardrum
mobility with a special test. The test is abnormal when fluid is behind
the eardrum. A hearing test will often reveal some hearing loss as well.
In chronic middle ear inflammation due to a tear in the eardrum
or an ear cyst, the diagnosis is usually made with a physical exam. Hearing
tests are usually abnormal in this case as well. Special x-ray tests, such as a
CAT scan,
may be done in some cases.
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