A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body weight, height; furthermore:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Auricle [pressure-painful tragus (tragus is the small cartilaginous mass on the auricle that rests just anterior to the ear canal; edematous (swollen) auricle)]
- Auditory canal [discharge of mucous secretion or pus (pus); flaking]
- Inspection and palpation (palpation) of the lymph node stations in the head/neck area (behind the ear: Lnn. retroauriculares, below the ear: Lnn. parotidei (Lnn. preauriculares)) [Lymphadenopathy (lymph node enlargement)?]
- Inspection (viewing).
- ENT medical examination – including otoscopy (examination of the external auditory canal and the eardrum) [findings: eg, redness and swelling of the ear mucosa; strong vascular markings on the malleus handle and the auditory canal roof as a sign of acute inflammation].
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
