Aetiology of secondary otalgia in Mosul Medical City

الملخص EN

Objectives : the aim of the present study is to evaluate the aetiology of secondary (referred) otalgia.

Patients and methods: A case series study of 79 patients clinically diagnosed as secondary otalgia, collected from the Outpatient Department of ENT at Al-Jamhory Teaching Hospital, Mosul/IRAQ, and private clinics, for the period from Jan.

2010 to Sept.

2011.

Results : the average age of the patients was 33.3 years with a range of 4-80 years.

The peak age incidence was in the fourth decade of life.

The study included 34 male patients (43.1 %) and 45 females (56.9 %) with a ratio of 1 : 1.3.

Temporomandibular joint dysfunction was found to be the main cause of secondary otalgia (37.9 %).

Pharyngitis (24 %), dental pain (17.7 %) and cervical spine pain (7.6 %) came next in that order.

Conclusion : temporomandibular joint dysfunction, pharyngitis, dental problems and cervical nerve root pain were the commonest causes of secondary otalgia.

Moreover, upper aerodigestive tract malignancies should be considered in differential diagnosis.