Blue tympanic membrane sign

Introduction Blue tympanic membrane is also called black tympanic membrane. The normal tympanic membrane is an elliptical translucent film, and if the tympanic chamber is filled with air, the tympanic membrane is shown as bead white. Once the bloody contents are accumulated in the tympanic cavity, dark blue or blue-black can be seen through the tympanic membrane. Therefore, the blue tympanic membrane is only a lesion around the tympanic or tympanic membrane, reflected in the change in the color of the tympanic membrane Once the cholesterol granuloma is hemorrhagic, it can cause blood in the tympanic cavity, and there is a "blue tympanic membrane sign". The depth of the blue color depends on the amount of blood decomposition products in the exudate in the tissue.

Cause

Human cholesterol comes from dietary and in vivo synthesis. The amount of synthesis in the body is affected by dietary cholesterol levels. When the dietary cholesterol intake is too much, the amount of synthesis in the body is reduced. When the intake is too small, the amount of synthesis in the body is increased. Cholesterol is excreted in the liver and excreted in the feces. Under normal circumstances, cholesterol is maintained at an appropriate level in the blood. When abnormal lipid metabolism occurs or dietary cholesterol intake exceeds the body's ability to regulate, the concentration of cholesterol in the blood increases and gradually deposits on the inner wall of the blood vessel, causing vascular stenosis and cardiovascular disease.

an examination

Related inspection

Otolaryngology CT examination otoscopy

The normal tympanic membrane is an elliptical translucent film, and if the tympanic chamber is filled with air, the tympanic membrane is shown as bead white. Once the bloody contents are accumulated in the tympanic cavity, dark blue or blue-black can be seen through the tympanic membrane.

Differential diagnosis

Differential diagnosis of blue tympanic membrane:

If the blue tympanic membrane patient has had a history of trauma, then the first thing to think about is the intracranial hemorrhage after craniocerebral trauma (tibial fracture). Second, it may be a high jugular bulb, a tympanic swelling, and a systemic coagulopathy. With the development of modern medical engineering, attention should also be paid to artificial sputum in the ear, such as cochlear implant or artificial middle ear. The electronic components placed in the ear can also make the tympanic membrane "dyed" in blue.

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