A comprehensive clinical examination is the basis for selecting further diagnostic steps:
- General physical examination – including blood pressure, pulse, body temperature, body weight, body height; furthermore:
- Inspection (viewing).
- Auricle [otalgia (ear pain), especially behind the auricle; postauricular erythema/area redness of the skin behind the ear, swelling, as appropriate; indirect sign: pain reaction when touching (pulling, pushing) the outer ear]
- Ear canal [if fluid escapes from the ear, so there is a tympanic membrane perforation, but usually heals again without consequences; the eardrum closes again]
- Inspection and palpation of the lymph node stations in the head / neck area (behind the ear: Lnn. retroauriculares, below the ear: Lnn. parotidei (Lnn. präauriculares)).
- Inspection (viewing).
- ENT medical examination – including otoscopy (viewing the external auditory canal and tympanic membrane) [otoscopic findings: redness and swelling of the ear mucosa; strong vascular markings on the malleus handle and auditory canal roof as a sign of acute inflammation; protrusion and decreased mobility of the tympanic membrane; otorrhea / ear flow].
- Health check
Square brackets [ ] indicate possible pathological (pathological) physical findings.
