This document provides medical terminology definitions and abbreviations for terms related to the special senses (eyes, ears, nose, and throat). It defines terms such as pressure equalizing tube (PE tube), which is a small tube surgically inserted into the eardrum; eye, ear, nose, and throat (EENT), which refers to the medical specialty; and bone conduction, which is the conduction of sound to the inner ear through the skull bones. Other terms defined include otitis media (OM), inflammation of the middle ear; emmetropia (EM), the condition of normal vision; exotropia (XT), an outward deviation of the eyes; and visual acuity (VA), the clearness or

1. Biology 120 ww5
Medical Terminology
Chapter 13 Presentation
The Special Senses
By: Jennifer Stevenson

2. Pressure Equalizing Tube
• Abbreviation:
PE tube

3. Pressure Equalizing Tube
• A small tube that is surgically inserted into
the eardrum. It may be required due to:
- A substantial hearing loss in patients with otitis media
- Poor response to antibiotics
- Otitis media with fluid for more than 3 months
- Recurrent episodes of acute otitis media
- Chronic retraction of the eardrum.
- Significant eustachian tube problems with flying or altitude changes

4. eye, ear, nose, and throat
• Abbreviation:
EENT

5. eye, ear, nose, and throat
• A term used for a specialty that doctors
may choose to practice that involves the
eyes, ears, nose and throat.

6. Bone Conduction

7. Bone Conduction
• Abbreviated BC
• The conduction of sound to the inner ear through the bones of
the skull.
• Bone conduction is the reason why a person's voice sounds
different to him/her when it is recorded and played back.
• There are 2 types of bone conduction that are recognized
-compressional bone conduction: high pitched
sounds cause segments of the skull to vibrate
individually which stimulate the sensory cells that are involved
in receiving sound waves in the air.
-inertial bone conduction: low pitched sounds vibrate the entire
skull, causing it to move while the suspended sensory parts of
the inner ear remain at rest.

8. Both ears
• Abbreviated AU
• Abbreviation used in charting to quickly
denote that the patient is having issues
with both of their ears.

9. Otitis Media

10. Otitis Media
• Abbreviated OM
• Inflammation of the middle ear, a middle
ear infection.
• Usually what is the cause for most ear
aches, the other being otitis externa.
• Though severely painful, otitis media is not
threatening and usually heals on its own
within 2–4 weeks.

11. Emmetropia

12. emmetropia
• Abbreviated EM
• The condition of the normal eye when
parallel rays are focused exactly on the
retina and vision is perfect.
• An emmetropic eye does not need
corrective lenses.

13. exotropia

14. exotropia
• Abbreviated XT
• refers to an outward deviation of the eyes
(outward drift)
• Although it commonly begins around age
2 to 4 years, it can appear at any age.

15. Left eye
• Abbreviated OS

16. Extraocular movement

17. Extraocular movement
• Abbreviated EOM
• Movements of the eye

18. Visual acuity
Typical Snellen chart used for visual acuity testing

19. Visual acuity
• Abbreviated VA
• Is acuteness or clearness of vision, which
is dependent on the sharpness of the
retinal focus within the eye and the
sensitivity of the interpretative faculty of
the brain.