Acquired causes of conductive hearing loss



External ear

Any obstruction in the ear canal, e.g. wax,
foreign body, furuncle, acute inflammatory
swelling, benign or malignant tumour or atresia of canal.


Middle ear


(a) Perforation of tympanic membrane, traumatic or infective

(b) Fluid in the middle ear, e.g. acute otitis media,serous ofitis media or haemotympanum

(c) Mass in middle ear, e.g. benign or malignanttumour

(d) Disruption of ossicles, e.g. trauma to ossicularchain, chronic suppurative otitis media,cholesteatoma

(e) Fixation of ossicles, e.g. otosclerosis,tympanosclerosis, adhesive otitis media

(f) Eustachian tube blockage, e.g. retractedtympanic membrane, serous otitis media.

Myringoplasty

It is repair of tympanic membrane. Graft materials of choice are temporalis fascia or the perichondrium taken from the patient.

Ossicular reconstruction

It is required when there is destruction or fixation of ossicular chain. Most common defect is necrosis of the long process of incus, the malleus and the stapes being normal.


acute-suppurative-otitis-media