Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Throat & Thyroid – Key Terminology

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering key terms and concepts from the lecture notes on eyes, ears, nose, throat, head/neck, and thyroid.

Conjunctivitis (pink eye)

Inflammation of the conjunctiva; commonly caused by bacterial, viral, or allergic etiologies and presents with eye discharge and redness.

Bacterial conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis with thick mucopurulent (yellow) discharge and acute onset; may be unilateral or bilateral; often treated with topical antibiotics.

Viral conjunctivitis

Most common form; abrupt onset with watery or mucoid discharge; often accompanied by URI symptoms; usually self-limited.

Allergic conjunctivitis

Conjunctivitis with intense itching, tearing, and often mucoid discharge; bilateral and linked to seasonal allergies.

Limbal sparing

Redness confined to the peripheral sclera, sparing the area around the cornea; suggests simple conjunctivitis rather than deeper inflammation.

Circumcorneal (ciliary) flush

Redness around the cornea/iris indicating deeper intraocular inflammation; a sign of more serious pathology.

Orbital cellulitis

Emergency infection behind the eye inside the orbit; systemic illness with fever; requires immediate ER or ophthalmology referral.

Scleritis

Deep, boring eye pain with red eye; potential to threaten vision; urgent evaluation and treatment needed.

Acute angle-closure glaucoma

Ocular emergency with severe eye pain, halos, blurry vision, nausea; mid-dilated unreactive pupil and very high intraocular pressure.

Corneal abrasion

Superficial epithelial disruption of the cornea; sudden sharp pain, tearing, photophobia; fluorescein staining shows bright green uptake.

Keratitis

Infection/inflammation of the cornea; pain, photophobia, reduced vision; requires prompt referral.

Eyphoritis

Severe inflammation inside the eye (inner segment); vision-threatening; may have minimal discharge; urgent referral.

Subconjunctival hemorrhage

Bright red patch on the sclera; usually benign and self-limited; recurrence prompts evaluation for hypertension or bleeding disorders.

Xanthelasma

Yellow, fatty plaques on the eyelids; linked to high cholesterol in about 30% of cases; can prompt lipid screening.

Pinguecula

Yellowish conjunctival growth on the white of the eye near the cornea due to UV exposure.

Pterygium

Conjunctival growth extending onto the cornea; may threaten vision and sometimes requires surgical removal.

Tragal tenderness

Pain on palpation of the tragus; a key clue for otitis externa (swimmer’s ear).

Otitis externa

Infection/inflammation of the external ear canal, often related to moisture or swimming; canal appears red/swollen with possible discharge.

Otitis media with effusion (OME)

Fluid behind the tympanic membrane due to Eustachian tube dysfunction; causes aural fullness and muffled hearing; TM may appear retracted with fluid lines or bubbles.

Pneumatic otoscopy

Assessment of tympanic membrane mobility by puffing air; reduced movement suggests effusion or infection.

Acute otitis media (AOM)

Bacterial infection behind the tympanic membrane; earache with fever; tympanic membrane is red, bulging, and may have purulence behind it.

Tympanic membrane

The eardrum separating the outer/middle ear; examined for color, position, landmarks, and mobility.

Tragus

Cartilage nub in front of the ear canal used to assess for OE via tenderness.

Post-nasal drip

Mucus drainage from the nasopharynx commonly associated with sinusitis or rhinitis.

Rhinitis

Inflammation of the nasal mucosa; allergic rhinitis vs infectious rhinitis.

Sinusitis

Inflamed sinuses with facial pressure/pain, often worse on bending forward; can include post-nasal drip and halitosis.

Tonsillitis (exudative tonsillitis)

Sore throat with inflamed tonsils; exudates appear as whitish patches.

Geographic tongue

Benign, map-like appearance of the tongue surface.

Lymph nodes (head and neck)

Ten main groups of nodes; shotty (small, movable) nodes can be normal; enlarged, tender, fixed, or enlarging nodes require evaluation.

Thyroid exam

Assessment including visual evaluation during swallowing and palpation at the cricoid cartilage for size, texture, and nodules.

Exophthalmos

Bulging eyes; a classic sign of hyperthyroidism.

Hypothyroidism

Underactive thyroid; symptoms include fatigue, weight gain, cold intolerance, dry skin, constipation, slow heart rate, depression.

Hyperthyroidism

Overactive thyroid; symptoms include weight loss with appetite, heat intolerance, tremor, tachycardia, diarrhea, anxiety.

Thyroid panel

Laboratory tests (e.g., TSH, free T4) to assess thyroid function.

Amsler grid

A simple grid test used to screen for macular degeneration by detecting distortions or blind spots.

Tonometry

Measurement of intraocular pressure to assess for glaucoma.

Red flags / urgent referral principles

Sudden vision loss, severe eye pain with headache/nausea, orbital signs, acute glaucoma, airway issues, persistent hoarseness or suspected malignancy warrant urgent referral.