Question

A 24 year old patient comes to the clinic with new onset of hearing loss and she states that she has noticed discharge draining out of her left ear. Upon examination, the nurse practitioner notices a cauliflower-like mass inside the middle ear. This is more commonly known as:

a. Mastoiditis
b. Cerumen impaction
c. Chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis
d. Cholesteatoma

Answer 1

The cauliflower-like mass inside the middle ear of a 24-year-old patient with hearing loss and ear discharge is likely a cholesteatoma, which is associated with repeated infections or eustachian tube dysfunction.

Step-by-step explanation:

A 24 year old patient presenting with new onset of hearing loss and discharge from the ear accompanied by the finding of a cauliflower-like mass in the middle ear is most likely suffering from a cholesteatoma.

Cholesteatomas are abnormal skin growths that develop in the middle ear usually as a result of repeated infection or a poorly functioning eustachian tube. They can lead to the destruction of the ear bones and are characterized by the discharge and hearing loss the patient is experiencing.