Secondary Otalgia in an Adult Population

Abstract

PAIN RESULTING from a pathologic condition of the ear is called primary otalgia. It is most frequently caused by infectious diseases in the ear, such as otitis media.1 Other causes of primary otalgia are tumor and trauma. However, according to Paparella and Jung,1 about half or more of the patients with otalgia have some other reason for aural pain, called secondary otalgia. Secondary otalgia may arise from diseases in the paranasal sinuses, nose, and pharynx or, frequently, from temporomandibular disorder (TMD). In the study by Leonetti et al,2 the most common cause of referred otalgia in patients whose chief complaint was otalgia with a normal-appearing ear was dental (74%). Furthermore, the cause of secondary otalgia can also be referred pain from the mouth, teeth, larynx, or thyroid gland; neural, vascular, or lymphatic structures of the neck; or the esophagus, heart, or lungs.