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Otology is a branch of medicine which studies normal and pathological anatomy and physiology of the ear (hearing and vestibular sensory systems and related structures and functions) as well as their diseases, diagnosis and treatment.^[1]^[2] Otologic surgery generally refers to surgery of the middle ear and mastoid related to chronic otitis media, such as tympanoplasty, or ear drum surgery, ossiculoplasty, or surgery of the hearing bones, and mastoidectomy. Otology also includes surgical treatment of conductive hearing loss, such as stapedectomy surgery for otosclerosis.

Neurotology, a related field of medicine and subspecialty of otolaryngology, is the study of diseases of the inner ear, which can lead to hearing and balance disorders. Neurotologic surgery generally refers to surgery of the inner ear or surgery that involves entering the inner ear with risk to the hearing and balance organs, including labyrinthectomy, cochlear implant surgery, and surgery for tumors of the temporal bone, such as intracanalicular acoustic neuromas. Neurotology is expanded to include surgery of the lateral skull base to treat intracranial tumors related to the ear and surrounding nerve and vascular structures, such as large cerebellar pontine angle acoustic neuromas, glomus jugulare tumors and facial nerve tumors.

Some of the concerns of otology include:

identifying the underlying mechanisms of Ménière's disease,
finding the causes of tinnitus and developing treatment methods,
defining the development and progression of otitis media

Related concerns of neurotology include:

studying signal processing in the cochlear implant patient,
investigating postural control areas and vestibulo-ocular mechanisms.
studying the genetics of acoustic neuromas in patients with neurofibromatosis, to better understanding how to treat these tumors and prevent their growth.

References

^ Pappas, Dennis G. (1 February 1996). "Otology Through the Ages". Otolaryngology–Head and Neck Surgery. 114 (2): 173–196. doi:10.1016/s0194-5998(96)70162-6. ISSN 0194-5998. PMID 8637729.
^ "Otolaryngology (ENT)/Head and Neck Surgery". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 18 Sep 2020.

Disorders of hearing and balance

Hearing

Symptoms

Hearing loss
Excessive response

Disease

Loss	Conductive hearing loss Otosclerosis Superior canal dehiscence Sensorineural hearing loss Presbycusis Cortical deafness Nonsyndromic deafness
Other	Deafblindness Wolfram syndrome Usher syndrome Auditory processing disorder Spatial hearing loss

Tests

Balance

Symptoms	Vertigo nystagmus
Disease	Balance disorder Peripheral Ménière's disease Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo Labyrinthitis Labyrinthine fistula
Tests	Dix–Hallpike test Unterberger test Romberg's test Vestibulo–ocular reflex

v t e Major Disease groups
Infection Parasitic disease
Benign tumor Cancer
Endocrine disease Malnutrition Metabolic disorder Immune disorder
Hematologic disease
Mental disorder
Neurological disorder Eye disease Ear disease
Cardiovascular disease Lymphatic disease
Respiratory disease
Maxillofacial disorder Gastrointestinal disease
Urologic disease Female genital disease Breast disease Male genital disease
Complications of pregnancy Obstetric labor complication Postpartum disorder
Skin disease
Musculoskeletal disorder Soft tissue disorder Connective tissue disease Bone disease Chondropathy
Congenital disorder Fetal disease

See also

References