General practice & primary care · UKMLA & AKT
Otitis externa
A free high-yield preview for the UKMLA Applied Knowledge Test, covering how to recognise this condition. The full SA Note notes add investigations, management and complications, with practice questions on this topic.
Key high-yield points
- Otalgia - often severe and disproportionate; worsened by moving jaw or tragus
- Pruritus - common early symptom, often precedes pain
- Otorrhoea - purulent (bacterial) or white/fluffy (fungal)
- Tragal tenderness - hallmark sign; pain on pressing tragus or pulling pinna
- Canal erythema and oedema on otoscopy; tympanic membrane may not be visible
Tragal tenderness distinguishes otitis externa from otitis media - in otitis media the ear canal and pinna are normal and pressing the tragus does not reproduce pain.
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