Component of examination | Description | Potential significance |
Position | | |
| |
| - Negative pressure in the middle ear (Eustachian tube dysfunction)
|
Mobility | | |
| - Fluid in the middle ear*
- Tympanosclerosis
|
| - Atrophy of the TM
- Site of previous perforation or tympanostomy tube
|
Translucency | | |
- Cloudy, opaque, or semi-opaque
| |
Color | | |
| - Pus in the middle ear (AOM)
|
| |
| - Inflammation
- Vasodilation (eg, from manipulation of the ear canal, crying, or high fever)
|
Other findings | - Bubbles or air-fluid levels
| - Middle ear fluid (more suggestive of OME than AOM unless the TM is bulging)
|
| - AOM if associated with purulent otorrhea and not caused by external otitis
- Injury to TM
|
| - AOM if associated with perforation and not caused by external otitis
- External otitis
- Chronic suppurative otitis media
- Tympanostomy tube drainage
|
| - Inflammation of TM, associated with AOM
|
| - Complication of frequent middle ear disease
|
| - Possible sequela of AOM or tympanostomy tube
|
| - Possible sequela of AOM or tympanostomy tube
|
| |