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Otolaryngology
 
 
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Otolaryngology is the branch of medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
 that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear
Ear

The ear is the sense organ that detects sounds. The vertebrate ear shows a common biology from fish to humans, with variations in structure according to order and species....
, nose
Nose

Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for Respiration in conjunction with the mouth....
, throat
Throat

In anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebrae. It consists of the pharynx and larynx. An important feature of the throat is the epiglottis, a flap which separates the esophagus from the vertebrate trachea and prevents inhalation of food or drink....
, and head and neck disorders. The full name of the specialty is otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Practitioners are called otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons, or sometimes otorhinolaryngologists (ORL). A commonly used term for this specialty is ENT (ear, nose and throat).






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Encyclopedia


Otolaryngology is the branch of medicine
Medicine

Medicine is the art and science of healing. It encompasses a range of health care practices evolved to maintain and restore health by the prevention and treatment of illness....
 that specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ear
Ear

The ear is the sense organ that detects sounds. The vertebrate ear shows a common biology from fish to humans, with variations in structure according to order and species....
, nose
Nose

Anatomically, a nose is a protuberance in vertebrates that houses the nostrils, or nares, which admit and expel air for Respiration in conjunction with the mouth....
, throat
Throat

In anatomy, the throat is the anterior part of the neck, in front of the vertebrae. It consists of the pharynx and larynx. An important feature of the throat is the epiglottis, a flap which separates the esophagus from the vertebrate trachea and prevents inhalation of food or drink....
, and head and neck disorders. The full name of the specialty is otolaryngology-head and neck surgery. Practitioners are called otolaryngologists-head and neck surgeons, or sometimes otorhinolaryngologists (ORL). A commonly used term for this specialty is ENT (ear, nose and throat). The term comes from the Greek ?t??a?????????a (oto = genitive for ear, laryngo = genitive for larynx/throat, logy = study), and it literally means the study of ear and neck. The full term ?t???????a?????????a (otorhinolaryngology), also includes rhino, which is the genitive of nose.

Explanation


Otolaryngologists are medical doctors
Doctor of Medicine

Doctor of Medicine is a Doctorate for physicians . The degree is granted from medical schools.It is a first professional degree in some countries, including the United States and Canada, although training is entered after obtaining at least 90 hours of university level work ....
 (MD, DO, MBBS, MBChB, etc.) who, in the United States, complete at least five years of surgical residency training. This is composed of one year in general surgical training and four years in otolaryngology - head and neck surgery; in the past it varied between two and three years of each.

Following residency training some otolaryngologists elect to complete advanced subspeciality fellowship
Fellowship (medicine)

A fellowship is the period of medical education in the United States that a physician may undertake after completing a residency . During this time , the physician is known as a fellow....
 training which can range from as little as 2 weekend courses (Allergy) or as long as 1-2 years in duration (pediatric otolaryngology), or head and neck oncology.

Subspecialties

(*Currently recognized by American Board of Medical Subspecialties)
Head and Neck Facial plastics Otology Neuro-otology* Rhinology/Sinus Laryngology Pediatrics* Sleep*
Surgical oncology | Facial cosmetics | Ear | Middle and inner ear | Sinusitis | Voice therapy | VeloPalatine-Insufficiency
Reconstruction | Maxillofacial | Hearing | Temporal bone | Allergy | Phono-surgery | Cleft Lip and Palate
Endocrine surgery | Trauma | | Skull base | Anterior skull base | | Airway
| | | Dizziness | Apnea and snoring | | Vascular Malformations
| | | | | | Cochlear
Cochlear

Cochlear, the adjective form of cochlea, may refer to:* Cochlear implant, a sensory aid for the deaf* Cochlear nuclei, the ventral cochlear nucleus and the dorsal cochlear nucleus...
 Implant/BAHA


Topics in otolaryngology, head and neck surgery


Head & Neck Surgery

    • Squamous cell carcinoma
      Squamous cell carcinoma

      In medicine, squamous cell carcinoma is a form of cancer of the carcinoma type that may occur in many different organs, including the skin, lips, mouth, esophagus, urinary bladder, prostate, lungs, vagina, and cervix....
       of the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx
    • Oral cancer
      Oral cancer

      Oral cancer is any cancerous tissue growth located in the mouth. It may arise as a primary lesion originating in any of the oral tissues, by metastasis from a distant site of origin, or by extension from a neighboring anatomic structure, such as the nasal cavity or the maxillary sinus....
    • Thyroid cancer
      Thyroid cancer

      Thyroid cancer refers to any of four kinds of cancer tumors of the thyroid gland: papillary thyroid cancer, follicular thyroid cancer, medullary thyroid cancer or anaplastic thyroid cancer....
    • Endocrine surgery of the head and neck (thyroidectomy, parathyroidectomy)
    • Microvascular free flap reconstruction
    • Skull base surgery


Otology/neuro-otology

  • Dizziness
    Dizziness

    Dizziness describes a number of subjective symptoms, which the patient may describe as feelings of lightheadedness, floating, wooziness, giddiness, confusion, disorientation or loss of balance....
    • BPPV - Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo
    • labyrinthitis
      Labyrinthitis

      Labyrinthitis is a balance disorder. It is an inflammatory process affecting the Labyrinth s that house the vestibular system of the inner ear....
      /vestibular neuronitis
      Vestibular neuronitis

      Vestibular Neuronitis, also called Vestibular neuritis, can be a paroxysmal, single attack of Vertigo , a series of attacks, or a persistent condition which diminishes over two weeks....
    • Ménière's disease
      Ménière's disease

      M?ni?re's disease is a disorder of the inner ear that can affect Hearing and balance. It is characterized by episodes of dizziness and tinnitus and progressive hearing loss, usually in one ear....
      /Endolymphatic hydrops
    • Perilymphatic fistula
    • acoustic neuroma
      Acoustic neuroma

      An acoustic neuroma, also called a vestibular schwannoma, is a benign primary intracranial tumor of the myelin-forming cells of the vestibulocochlear nerve ....


  • Hearing loss
  • Mastoiditis
    Mastoiditis

    Mastoiditis is an infection of mastoid process, the portion of the temporal bone of the skull that is behind the ear which contains open, aircontaining spaces....
  • Otitis externa
    Otitis externa

    Otitis externa is an inflammation of the outer ear and ear canal. Along with otitis media, external otitis is one of the two human conditions commonly called "earache"....
     - outer ear
    Outer ear

    The outer ear is the external portion of the ear, which consists of the pinna , concha, and auditory meatus. It gathers sound energy and focuses it on the eardrum ....
     or ear canal
    Ear canal

    The ear canal , is a tube running from the outer ear to the middle ear. The human ear canal extends from the pinna...
     inflammation
  • Otitis media
    Otitis media

    Otitis media is inflammation of the middle ear, or middle ear infection .Otitis media occurs in the area between the ear drum and the inner ear, including a duct known as the Eustachian tube....
     - middle ear
    Middle ear

    The middle ear is the portion of the ear internal to the eardrum, and external to the oval window of the cochlea. The mammalian middle ear contains three ossicles, which couple vibration of the eardrum into waves in the fluid and membranes of the inner ear....
     inflammation
  • Otitis interna
    Otitis interna

    Otitis interna is an inflammation of the inner ear and is usually considered synonymous with labyrinthitis.Labyrinthitis is an inflammation of the inner ear that typically results in severe Vertigo lasting for one or more days....
     - inner ear
    Inner ear

    The inner ear is the labyrinth , a system of passages comprising two main functional parts:* the organ of hearing, or cochlea* and the vestibular apparatus, the organ of balance that consists of three semicircular canals and the Vestibule of the ear....
     inflammation
  • Perforated eardrum
    Eardrum

    The tympanic membrane , is a thin biological membrane that separates the external ear from the middle ear. Its function is to transmit sound from the air to the ossicles inside the middle ear....
     (hole in the eardrum due to infection, trauma, explosion or loud noise)
  • ear surgery


Rhinology

Rhinology pertains to sinus diseases and the anterior skull base.
  • Environmental Allergies
  • Sinusitis
    Sinusitis

    Sinusitis is an inflammation of the paranasal sinuses, which may or may not be as a result of infection, from bacterial, fungus, virus, allergy or autoimmunity issues....
     - acute, chronic
  • Rhinitis
    Rhinitis

    Rhinitis, commonly known as a runny nose, is the medical term describing irritation and inflammation of some internal areas of the nose. The primary symptom of rhinitis is nasal...
  • Empty nose syndrome
    Empty nose syndrome

    Empty nose syndrome is a medical term used by otolaryngologists to describe a nose crippled by over resection of the middle or inferior turbinates of the nose....


Pediatrics

  • laryngomalacia
    Laryngomalacia

    Laryngomalacia is a very common condition of infancy, in which the soft, immature cartilage of the upper larynx collapses inward during inhalation, causing airway obstruction....
  • Caustic Ingestion
  • Obstructive Sleep Apnea
    Sleep apnea

    Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. Each episode, called an apnea , lasts long enough so that one or more breaths are missed, and such episodes occur repeatedly throughout sleep....
     - Pediatric
  • Tonsillectomy
    Tonsillectomy

    A tonsillectomy is a list of surgical procedures in which the tonsils are removed. Sometimes the adenoids are removed at the same time....
  • Adenoidectomy
    Adenoidectomy

    Adenoidectomy is the surgery removal of the adenoid. They may be removed for several reasons, including impaired breathing through the nose and chronic infections or earaches....
  • Myringotomy and Tubes


Laryngology

  • Dysphonia
    Dysphonia

    Dysphonia is the medical term for hoarseness or other phonation disorders. It is considered much less severe than aphonia. Recently, medical science has studied the effects of osculation and the human saliva on hoarseness....
     / Hoarseness
    • Laryngitis
      Laryngitis

      Laryngitis is an inflammation of the larynx. It causes hoarse human voice or the complete loss of the voice because of irritation to the vocal folds ....
    • Reinke's Edema
      Reinke's Edema

      Reinke's edema, also known as polypoid degeneration, is the swelling of the vocal folds due to fluid collection ....
    • Vocal Cord Nodules
      Vocal fold nodule

      A vocal cord nodule is a nodule or mass of tissue that grows on the vocal folds . Typically this mass will appear on the junction of the anterior and middle two-thirds of the vocal fold, where contact is most forceful....
       & Polyps


  • Spasmodic Dysphonia
    Spasmodic dysphonia

    Spasmodic dysphonia is a voice disorder characterized by involuntary movements of one or more muscles of the larynx during speech....
  • Tracheostomy
  • Cancer of the Larynx
    Cancer of the larynx

    Laryngeal cancer may also be called cancer of the larynx or laryngeal carcinoma. Most laryngeal cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, reflecting their origin from the squamous cells which form the majority of the laryngeal epithelium....
  • Vocology
    Vocology

    Vocology, originally coined by voice scientist Ingo R. Titze, has been defined as the science and practice of voice habilitation. It parallels audiology, the study of hearing and the treatment of hearing disorders....
     - science and practice of voice habilitation


Facial plastic and reconstructive surgery

  • Rhinoplasty
    Rhinoplasty

    Rhinoplasty is a surgical procedure which is usually performed by either an Otolaryngology, maxillofacial surgeon, or plastic surgeon in order to improve the function and/or the appearance of a human nose....
     & Septoplasty
    Septoplasty

    Septoplasty is a corrective surgery procedure done to straighten the nasal septum, the partition between the two Nasal cavity. Ideally, the septum should run down the center of the nose....
  • Facelift
    Rhytidectomy

    A facelift, technically known as a rhytidectomy , is a type of Cosmetic surgery#cosmetic surgery procedure used to give a more youthful appearance....
     (Rhytidectomy)
  • Browlift
  • Blepharoplasty
    Blepharoplasty

    Blepharoplasty can be both a functional and cosmetic surgical procedure intended to reshape the upper eyelid or lower eyelid by the removal or repositioning of excess tissue as well as by reinforcement of surrounding muscles and tendons....
  • Otoplasty
    Otoplasty

    Otoplasty, is a cosmetic surgery to change the appearance of a person's external ears. Otoplasty can take many forms, such as bringing the ears closer to the head , reducing the size of very big ears, or reshaping various bends in the cartilage....
  • Genioplasty
    Genioplasty

    Genioplasty/Mentoplasty is a type of Cosmetic_surgery#Cosmetic_surgery that is used to improve the appearance of a person's chin. This can take the form of chin height reduction or chin rounding by osteotomy, or chin augmentation using Prosthesis....
  • Injectable Cosmetic Treatments
  • Trauma to the Face
    • Nasal Bone Fracture
    • Mandible Fracture
    • Orbital Fracture
    • Frontal Sinus Fracture
    • Complex Lacerations and Soft Tissue Damage


External links

  • High quality research and patient information on otolaryngology
  • (the official scientific journal of the Nordic Cooperation Council of Logopedics and Phoniatrics and of The British Voice Association. It examines topics related to speech, language and voice science.)
  • (via Childrens Hospital of Pittsburgh)


Societies