Assessment of Head, Eyes, Ears, Nose, Mouth, Throat, and Neck

Vocabulary flashcards covering health assessment terms, clinical definitions, physical findings, and anatomical structures for the head, face, eyes, ears, nose, throat, and neck.

Normocephalic

A clinical term describing a round, symmetric skull that is appropriately proportioned to body size.

Sucking Tubercle

A small, normal pad in the middle of the upper lip in infants resulting from friction during breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.

Chloasma

A blotchy, hyperpigmented mask-like area over the cheeks and forehead that occurs during the second trimester of pregnancy and fades after delivery.

Pupillary Light Reflex

The normal automatic constriction of the pupils when a bright light shines on the retina.

Fixation

A visual reflex direction of the eye toward an object attracting attention, keeping the image centered on the fovea centralis.

Accommodation

Adaptation of the eye for near vision, demonstrated clinically by pupillary constriction and convergence of the axes of the eyeballs.

Presbyopia

The age-related loss of lens elasticity, causing it to become rigid and glasslike, decreasing the eye's ability to accommodate for near vision.

Cataract

An opacity of the crystalline lens of the eye resulting from the clumping of proteins.

Diabetic Retinopathy

Retinal vascular damage from oxidative stress and inflammation that leads to vision loss and potential blindness.

Glaucoma

An eye disease characterized by increased intraocular pressure causing optic nerve compression and peripheral visual field loss.

Age-Related Macular Degeneration (AMD)

Progressive loss of central vision caused by the deterioration of cells in the macula of the retina.

PERRLA

An acronym summarizing normal eye findings: Pupils Equal, Round, React to Light, and Accommodation.

Air Conduction (AC)

The primary and most efficient normal pathway of hearing, where sound waves travel through the external canal and middle ear.

Bone Conduction (BC)

An alternate pathway of hearing where vibrations of the skull bones are transmitted directly to the inner ear and cranial nerve VIII.

Tinnitus

A phantom sound perception of ringing, crackling, or buzzing inside the ears without an external source.

Vertigo

A rotational spinning sensation caused by inner ear vestibular dysfunction, where the individual feels they or the room is spinning.

Confrontation Test

A bedside physical examination maneuver used to screen and assess a patient's peripheral visual fields.

External Structures of the Eye

Anatomical components including the upper and lower eyelids, palpebral fissure, pupil, iris, sclera, limbus, caruncle, and medial and lateral canthi.

Extraocular Muscle Movement and Innervation

Directions of eye movement controlled by cranial nerve III (superior, inferior, and medial recti, inferior oblique), cranial nerve IV (superior oblique), and cranial nerve VI (lateral rectus).

Normal Ocular Fundus

Interior surface of the eye displaying key anatomical structures including the optic disc, optic cup, retinal arteries and veins, and the macula.

Anatomy of the Ear

Structural components divided into the external ear, middle ear (malleus, incus, stapes, tympanic membrane), and inner ear (vestibule, semicircular canals, cochlea, cranial nerve VIII).

Tympanic Membrane Landmarks

Normal visual landmarks of the eardrum including the cone of light, umbo, manubrium of malleus, short process of malleus, pars tensa, pars flaccida, and annulus.

Anterior Structures of the Neck

Anatomical structures in the midline neck including the hyoid bone, thyroid cartilage, cricoid cartilage, isthmus of thyroid, thyroid gland, and trachea.

Regional Head and Neck Lymph Nodes

Lymphatic chain locations including preauricular, posterior auricular, occipital, jugulodigastric, superficial cervical, posterior cervical, supraclavicular, submandibular, submental, and deep cervical chain.

Graves Disease Presentation

Hyperthyroidism presentation characterized by clinical signs including diffuse goiter, eyelid retraction, and exophthalmos.