Top 100 Study Items for the Otolaryngology

(ENT) Board Examination

August 16, 2015
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Weve compiled over 1,100 ENT Questions that are specific to topics covered on the board exam
as well as the re-certification exams.
We asked our writers to identify the top 100 ENT exam topics:
1. Branchial arches, clefts, and derived structures
2. Anatomy: Larynx, temporal Bone, paranasal sinuses, orbit, neck, skull base, nose, etc.
3. Fascial planes, potential spaces of head & neck: Anatomical boundaries, contents,
tumors, radiologic anatomy, diagnostic workup, etc.

4. Cranial Nerves: Afferent & efferent divisions; innervation pathways, innervation of

parotid gland, submandibular gland, lacrimal gland, oral & nasal mucus glands, taste
pathways, blink reflex, acoustic reflex, cough reflex, etc.
5. Basic Science & Organ Physiology: Vestibular system, auditory system, visual system,
olfactory system, thyroid function, parathyroid function, pituitary function, immune
system/allergic pathways, swallowing physiology, coagulation pathways, etc.
6. Head & Neck Syndromes:
7. Sensorineural Hearing Loss: Types, causes, diagnostics, audiogram patterns, medical &
surgical treatment, sudden sensorineural hearing loss, noise induced hearing loss,
congenital hearing loss, Menieres disease, vestibular schwannoma, ototoxicity (agents,
mechanism of action, treatment), etc.
8. Conductive Hearing Loss: Types, causes, diagnostics, audiogram patterns, medical &
surgical treatment, otosclerosis, congenital malleus fixation, ossicular discontinuity,
tympanic perforation, middle ear tumors, etc.
9. Otologic Surgery: Tympanoplasty, ossicular chain reconstruction, stapedotomy,
endolymphatic sac decompression, mastoidectomy, labyrinthectomy, facial nerve
decompression, Fisch approaches, etc.
10. Temporal Bone Lesions & Tumors: Types, patterns, medical & surgical management,
cholesteatoma, cholesterol granulomas, vestibular schwannomas, glomus tumors, fibrous
dysplasia, etc.
11. Cerebellopontine Angle Lesions: Presentation, differential diagnosis, diagnostic tests,
medical treatment options, surgical treatment & approaches.
12. Vertigo: Causes, differential diagnosis, diagnostic tests (ENG, dynamic posturography,
VEMP), medical & surgical treatment, Menieres disease, Migraine-related, Labyrinthitis,
Vestibular Neuritis, Mal de debarquement, Perilymphatic fistula, Superior semicircular
canal dehiscence syndrome, etc.
13. Tinnitus: Types, associated conditions/pathology, diagnostic testing, treatment modalities.
14. Audiogram: Pure tone audiometry, speech audiometry, tympanogram, acoustic reflex,
acoustic reflex decay, speech discrimination, speech reception threshold, Stengers test,
tuning fork tests.
15. Auditory Brainstem Response Testing: Indications, patterns, wave latencies, etc
16. Hearing Amplification: Hearing aid structure, types of hearing aids, indications, etc.

17. Cochlear Implantation: Indications, treatment options, implant design, surgical procedure,
complications & management, etc.
18. Pediatric hearing loss: Post-natally acquired vs congenital, acquired intrauterine causes
vs. hereditary causes, syndromic vs. non-syndromic, enlarged vestibular aqueduct,
Mondinis, Michel aplasia, Scheibe aplasia, etc.
19. Pediatric Head & Neck Syndromes/Sequences: Types, features, transmission patterns, etc.
20. Aerodigestive Developmental Anomalies: Laryngeal clefts, esophageal fistula/atresia,
vascular rings and aortic malformations, etc.
21. Cleft Lip & Palate
22. Choanal Atresia
23. Microtia & Aural Atresia Causes, syndromes, medical management, surgical
management strategies and options.
24. Congenital Cysts Branchial cleft cysts/sinuses/fistulae, thyroglossal duct cysts, dermoid
cysts, encephaloceles, gliomas, etc.
25. Acute and Chronic otitis media: types of otitis media, management indications,
complications of otitis media
26. Pediatric tonsillitis: acute vs. chronic, differential diagnosis, medical vs. surgical
treatment and indications, complications, etc.
27. Pediatric Airway: epiglottitis, croup, tracheitis, laryngomalacia, tracheomalacia,
subglottic hemangioma, etc.
28. Subglottic/Tracheal Stenosis: Symptoms, workup, medical & surgical treatment, types of
resections, tracheal mobilization techniques & releases, etc.
29. Pediatric Foreign Body Ingestion & Aspiration: Esophageal foreign body,
tracheobronchial foreign body, caustic ingestion, etc
30. Voice Disorders: Functional (spasmodic, adductor, abductor, mixed) vs organic causes,
etc.
31. Vocal cord paralysis: Unilateral vs. bilateral, workup, management (short vs long term),
etc.
32. Aspiration: Causes, workup, medical and surgical treatment, surgical management of
intractable aspiration, etc.

33. Vocal Cord Lesions: Presentation, diagnostics, medical vs. surgical treatment, nodules,
cysts, polyps, sulci, vocal process granulomas, Reinkes edema, papillomatosis,
laryngocele, sarcoidosis, amyloidosis, Wegeners granulomatosis, etc.
34. Salivary Gland Diseases: Sialadenitis, sialolithiasis, Sjogrens and other
autoimmune/systemic disorders, ranulae, benign salivary gland tumors; presentation,
workup, diagnostic testing, medicla & surgical treatment, etc.
35. Disorders of Oral Cavity/Pharynx: Mucosal lesions, malignancy risk, mucosal infections;
leukoplakia, erythroplasia, lichen planus, oral hairy leukoplakia, candidiasis, midline
rhomboid glossitis, hairy tongue, etc.
36. Esophageal Disorders: Dysphagia, esophageal dismotility, diverticulae, gastroesophageal
reflux disease, Barretts esophagus, esophageal tumors, etc; presentation, differential
diagnosis, workup (barium swallow, manometry, pH monitoring, endoscopy, etc).
37. Oral Cavity Cancer: Sites, subsites, TNM staging, early vs. late stage treatment standards,
supporting literature.
38. Oropharyngeal Cancer: Sites, subsites, TNM staging, early vs. late stage treatment
standards, supporting literature.
39. Hypopharyngeal Cancer: Sites, subsites, TNM staging, early vs. late stage treatment
standards, supporting literature.
40. Nasopharyngeal Cancer: Sites, subsites, TNM staging, early vs. late stage treatment
standards, supporting literature.
41. Laryngeal Cancer: Sites, subsites, TNM staging, early vs. late stage treatment standards,
supporting literature.
42. Sinonasal Cancer: Sites, subsites, TNM staging, early vs. late stage treatment standards,
supporting literature.
43. Cutaneous Malignancies: Types, TNM staging, medical & surgical treatment
44. Salivary Gland Tumors: Types, TNM staging, medical & surgical treatment
45. Endocrine Malignancies: Thyroid cancer, parathyroid tumors, MEN syndromes,
diagnosis, workup, staging, medical & surgical management, etc.
46. Pediatric Malignancies: Types, TNM staging, medical & surgical treatment.
47. Neurogenic/Vascular Tumors and Malformations: Paragangliomas (types, classification),
Schwannomas (vagal, sympathetic chain, etc), hemangiomas, vascular malformations,
arteriovenous malformations, etc.

48. Head & Neck Chemotherapy: Anti-neoplastic agents, indications, adverse effects, etc.
49. Head & Neck Radiation Therapy: Types, indications, fractionation, complications, etc.
50. Wound Care: Treatment approach, management of fistulae, exposed carotid,
reconstruction plates, neck defects, regional flaps, etc
51. Neck Mass Approach, examination, differential diagnosis (by age group, risk factors
etc), workup (imaging features, histopathology), management, etc.
52. Thyroid Disorders: Hyper/hypothyroidism, Thyroid function studies, Thyroiditis,
symptoms, diagnostic workup, medical & surgical treatment, etc.
53. Parathyroid Disorders: Hyper/Hypoparathyroidism, hypo/hypercalcemia, symptoms,
diagnostic workup, medical & surgical treatment.
54. Histopathology: Salivary tumors, neurogenic tumors, epithelial tumors, benign mixed
tumors, lymphomas, thyroid tumors, osseus tumors, tumor markers, etc.
55. MRI: T1, T2, and contrast features, temporal bone lesions, CPA lesions, parapharyngeal
(pre- & post-styloid tumors), venous/lymphatic malformations, etc.
56. Head & Neck Imaging: Radioactive iodine uptake scan, sestamibi scan, ultrasound, PET
scan, CT scan, etc.
57. Odontogenic Cysts & Tumors: Presentation, differential diagnosis, imaging features,
medical vs. surgical gtreatment, periapical cyst, dentigerous cyst, Gorlin cyst, aneurysmal
bone cyst, odontogenic keratocyst, ameloblastoma, Pindborg tumor, etc.
58. Sleep Disordered Breathing: Types of sleep-disordered breathing and diagnostic features,
polysomnography, etc.
59. Sleep Apnea Medical and surgical treatment of sleep apnea.
60. Surface Facial Landmarks Aesthetic partitions, facial proportions, determinants of nasal
projection, nasofacial angle, Goodes method, Gonzalez-Uloa line, etc
61. Rhinoplasty: Tip support mechanisms, tools for projecting the nose, deprojecting nose,
rotating tip, etc.
62. Nasal Obstruction: Diagnosis, causes, medical management, surgical management
(septoplasty, valve surgery, turbinate surgery).
63. Facial Nerve Paralysis: Causes/differential diagnosis, workup (electrophysiologic and
topognostic tests), medical treatment, surgical management of immediate vs. chronic
facial paralysis.

64. Rhytidectomy: Types of rhytidectomy, indications, management of early and late

complications
65. Scar Revision Z-plasty, W-plasty, geometric broken line, scar orientation, rotation,
enlongation, indications, lines of maximum distensibility, relaxed skin tension lines, etc.
66. Periorbital Rejuvenation: Brow lift (types and indications), upper and lower
blepharoplasty (types, approaches, indications).
67. Skin Resurfacing: Peels (types, components, depth, and advantages/disadvantages),
dermabrasion, laser skin resurfacing, etc.
68. Lasers: Physics of lasers, applications, laser types, chromophores, laser skin resurfacing,
treatment of pigmented lesions, hemangiomas, tattoos, etc.
69. Aesthetic Implants/Fillers/Neuromodulators: Botulinum toxin, hydroxyappatitie,
hyaluronic acid, silicone cheek/chin implants; indications, advantages and disadvantages,
complications & treatment, etc.
70. Local Flaps: Types, classification, uses
71. Regional flaps: Pedicle vessels, uses, advantages/disadvantages
72. Free Flaps: Pedicle vessels, innervation, types (fasciocutaneous, musculocutaneous,
osseocutaneous, etc), indications, advantages/disadvantages, etc.
73. Mandible Fractures: Types, classification, examination findings, presentation, surgical
treatment options.
74. Midface fractures: Lefort fractures; zygomaticomaxillary complex fractures, nasal bone
fractures.
75. Orbital fractures: Orbital floor fractures, naso-orbito-ethmoid fractures.
76. Penetrating Neck Injuries: Neck zones, presentation, management.
77. Laryngeal Trauma: Classification, medical & surgical management.
78. Temporal Bone Fractures: types, presentation, diagnostics, management; tympanic
membrane trauma, etc.
79. Frontal Sinus Fractures: Types, presentation, diagnostics, management.
80. Pediatric Trauma Penetrating trauma, mandible fractures, dentofacial trauma, medical
vs. surgical management, etc.

81. Intraoperative Emergencies: Difficult airway, airway fire, thyroid storm, malignant
hyperthermia, oculocardic reflex, etc.
82. Anesthesia: peripheral nerve blocks, general anesthetics, muscle relaxants, Intubation
protocols, intraoperative fluids, resuscitation, etc.
83. Sinusitis Acute vs. Chronic, with or without polyps, allergic fungal, invasive fungal,
predisposing factors/disorders, medical management, surgical management,
complications
84. Rhinitis: Allergic vs. nonallergic, vasomotor, atrophic, Wegeners granulomatosis,
sarcoidosis, etc.
85. Benign Sinonasal Lesions & Tumors: Presentation, differential diagnosis, diagnostic
tests, medical & surgical treatment; antrochoanal polyp, inverted papilloma, osteoma,
fibrous dysplasia, ossifying fibroma, encephalocele, etc.
86. Endoscopic Sinus Anatomy & Surgery: Basal lamellae, ager nasi, ethmoid bulla, Haller
cells, Onodi cells, Frontal sinus cells (types), Keros classification, ethmoidectomy, frontal
sinusotomy (types), maxillary anstrostomy, sphenoidotomy, etc.
87. Skull Base Surgery: Skull base anatomy, approaches to skull base tumors, diagnosis and
management, etc.
88. Epistaxis: Vascular anatomy, predisposing factors, predisposing conditions, acute
management, endoscopic sphenopalatine artery ligation, vessel embolization, etc.
89. Allergy: Seasonal vs. perennial, diagnosis, skin and in vitro testing, medical management,
immunotherapy.
90. Asthma & Pulmonary Medicine: Symptoms, diagnostic workup (flow-volume curves),
medical management, etc.
91. Ester & amide local anesthetics: Maximum dosage, toxicity treatment & management.
92. Headaches: Sinus and non-sinus etiology, Migraines, Cluster headaches, trigeminal
neuralgia, Tension headaches, etc.
93. Pituitary tumors: Types, staging, imaging, medical & surgical treatment options &
approaches
94. Cerebrospinal Fluid Leak: Types, causes, management indications, prophylaxis, medical
& surgical treatment, etc.
95. Antimicrobial therapy for Head & Neck: Mechanism of action, coverage profile.

96. HIV Head & Neck Manifestations: Symptoms, diagnostic workup, associated conditions,
AIDS-defining diseases, treatment, etc.
97. Deep Neck Infections: Patterns/pathways of spread, medical/surgical management.
98. Granulomatous diseases: Head and neck manifestastions, diagnosis, workup, treatment.
99. Systemic Diseases: Autoimmune diseases, vasculitis, head & neck manifestations,
diagnosis, workup, treatment, etc.
100.
Medical Ethics & Law: Informed consent, end of life decisions, advanced
directives, medical dilemmas & emergency (e.g. blood transfusion in Jehovas witness),
etc.