DIAGNOSIS CHECKLIST
for Ear swelling

Why: to determine if acute or chronic.

Why: e.g. ear drum (otitis media or myringitis bullosa), ear canal (otitis externa or furunculosis) or pinna of the ear (perichondritis, cauliflower ear, warts, skin tumor or infected ear lobe).

Why: e.g. sore throat, runny nose, sinusitis - may suggest acute otitis media or myringitis bullosa (occurs with influenza, Haemophilus influenza and mycoplasma pneumoniae infections).

Why: may suggest otitis externa.

Why: may suggest otitis externa.

Why: e.g. ear bud - may suggest foreign body and resultant otitis externa infection.

Why: suggest infected ear lobe. Often due to contact allergy to nickel or chromium in an ear ring.

Why: trauma to the pinna of the ear (e.g. via contact sports) may result in a haematoma (localized mass of clotted blood) and later perichondritis (inflammation of the pinna cartilage) or abscess formation. If the haematoma or abscess is not surgically drained correctly it will result in a "cauliflower ear" deformity due to destruction of the cartilage.

Why: e.g. eczema, psoriasis or seborrheic dermatitis may occur in the ear canal and on the pinna of ear and cause redness and itch. Each of these skin conditions may then be complicated by an outer ear infection which will cause ear canal swelling, redness, pain, discharge and sometimes hearing loss.

Why: e.g. allergic skin conditions such as eczema may predispose to otitis externa; medical conditions that may increase risk of recurrent middle ear infections include selective IgA deficiency, common variable immunodeficiency, X-linked agammaglobulinaemia, recurrent adenoiditis, Wegener's granulomatosis, HIV infection and obstructive sleep apnea; diabetes predisposes to furunculosis.

Why: may suggest acute otitis media (most likely), otitis externa, foreign body, myringitis bullosa, perichondritis, furunculosis or infected ear lobe. The location of the ear pain may also assist in diagnosis e.g. in ear, behind ear, below the ear on the pinna.

Why: may suggest acute otitis media (middle ear infection) with a rupture of the ear drum, otitis externa (outer ear infection), foreign body or myringitis bullosa, especially if have ear pain.

Why: suggests otitis media or furunculosis.

Why: may suggest acute otitis media, otitis externa and foreign body.

Why: e.g. deep-seated ear pain, deafness , fever, a discharge may follow if the tympanic membrane ruptures which results in relief of pain and fever.

Why: e.g. itching at first, pain, fullness feeling in the ear canal, mild discharge, hearing loss.

Why: e.g. infection of the cartilage of the ear characterized by severe pain of the pinna of the ear which is red, swollen and exquisitely tender.