INI CET ENT Syllabus

ENT syllabus — full chapter and topic list

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics. This is the whole examinable outline for ENT in INI CET, not a summary of it.

1. 1

   Anatomy and Physiology

   2 topics

   • Anatomy of the ear, nose, throat, and related structures
     • External ear
     • Middle ear
     • Inner ear
     • Nasal cavity
     • Paranasal sinuses
     • Pharynx
     • Larynx
     • Trachea
   • Physiology of hearing, balance, smell, taste, and speech production
2. 2

   Otology

   5 topics

   • Ear examination
     • Otoscopy
     • Tuning fork tests (Weber and Rinne tests)
     • Audiometry
   • Outer ear disorders
     • Otitis externa
     • Foreign body in the ear
     • Trauma to the external ear
   • Middle ear disorders
     • Acute otitis media
     • Chronic otitis media
     • Otosclerosis
     • Tympanic membrane perforation
   • Inner ear disorders
     • Meniere's disease
     • Vestibular neuritis
     • Labyrinthitis
   • Hearing loss
     • Conductive hearing loss
     • Sensorineural hearing loss
     • Mixed hearing loss
     • Evaluation and management
3. 3

   Rhinology

   4 topics

   • Nasal examination
     • Anterior rhinoscopy
     • Endoscopy
     • Imaging (CT scan, MRI)
   • Nasal obstruction
     • Deviated nasal septum
     • Nasal polyps
     • Allergic rhinitis
     • Nasal tumors
   • Sinusitis
     • Acute sinusitis
     • Chronic sinusitis
     • Fungal sinusitis
     • Complications of sinusitis
   • Epistaxis
     • Causes
     • Evaluation
     • Management of anterior and posterior epistaxis
4. 4

   Laryngology

   4 topics

   • Laryngeal examination
     • Indirect laryngoscopy
     • Direct laryngoscopy
     • Flexible laryngoscopy
   • Voice disorders
     • Hoarseness
     • Dysphonia
     • Vocal cord nodules
     • Vocal cord paralysis
     • Laryngeal tumors
   • Laryngopharyngeal reflux
     • Clinical features
     • Diagnosis
     • Management
   • Stridor
     • Causes of inspiratory and expiratory stridor
     • Evaluation
     • Management
5. 5

   Head and Neck Surgery

   4 topics

   • Neck masses
     • Evaluation and management of cervical lymphadenopathy
     • Evaluation and management of thyroid nodules
     • Evaluation and management of salivary gland tumors
   • Thyroid surgery
     • Thyroidectomy for benign and malignant thyroid disorders
     • Lobectomy for benign and malignant thyroid disorders
     • Isthmectomy for benign and malignant thyroid disorders
   • Parathyroid surgery
     • Parathyroidectomy for hyperparathyroidism
   • Head and neck cancer
     • Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck
     • Management principles
     • Surgical approaches
6. 6

   Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology

   3 topics

   • Pediatric ear disorders
     • Otitis media with effusion
     • Acute otitis media
     • Congenital hearing loss
   • Pediatric nasal and sinus disorders
     • Choanal atresia
     • Adenoid hypertrophy
     • Nasal foreign bodies
   • Pediatric airway disorders
     • Laryngomalacia
     • Tracheomalacia
     • Congenital laryngeal anomalies
7. 7

   Audiology and Vestibular Disorders

   3 topics

   • Audiological evaluation
     • Pure tone audiometry
     • Speech audiometry
     • Tympanometry
     • Auditory brainstem response (ABR)
   • Vertigo and dizziness
     • Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV)
     • Vestibular neuritis
     • Meniere's disease
     • Vestibular migraine
   • Vestibular testing
     • Caloric testing
     • Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP)
     • Rotary chair testing
8. 8

   Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)

   3 topics

   • Clinical features
   • Diagnosis
     • Polysomnography
   • Management
     • Continuous positive airway pressure
     • Surgical options
9. 9

   Allergy and Immunology

   2 topics

   • Allergic rhinitis
     • Clinical features
     • Allergen testing
     • Management
   • Immunodeficiency disorders
     • Evaluation and management of primary and secondary immunodeficiencies affecting the upper respiratory tract
10. 10

    Emergency Otorhinolaryngology

    2 topics

    • Airway management
      • Assessment and management of upper airway obstruction
      • Foreign body aspiration
      • Epiglottitis
    • Facial trauma
      • Evaluation and management of facial fractures
      • Nasal fractures
      • Laryngeal trauma

ENT flashcards for INI CET

20 of 50 cards from the ENT deck — real questions with worked answers.

1. Name the three ossicles of the middle ear in order from the tympanic membrane to the oval window.

   Malleus (hammer) → Incus (anvil) → Stapes (stirrup). The stapes footplate sits in the oval window.

2. What is the function of the Eustachian (auditory) tube?

   Connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx; equalizes middle ear pressure with atmospheric pressure and allows drainage of secretions. In children it is shorter, wider, and more horizontal, predisposing to otitis media.

3. Which part of the cochlea responds to high-frequency sounds versus low-frequency sounds?

   The base of the cochlea (near the oval window) detects high frequencies; the apex detects low frequencies. This is the tonotopic organization (place theory).

4. What are the receptor cells for hearing and where are they located?

   Hair cells in the Organ of Corti, located on the basilar membrane within the cochlear duct (scala media). One row of inner hair cells (sensory) and three rows of outer hair cells (amplification).

5. What structures of the inner ear detect angular (rotational) acceleration versus linear acceleration?

   Semicircular canals (cristae ampullaris) detect angular/rotational acceleration; the otolith organs—utricle and saccule (maculae)—detect linear acceleration and head position relative to gravity.

6. Describe the Rinne test and how to interpret a positive versus negative result.

   Tuning fork (512 Hz) compared at mastoid (bone conduction) vs ear canal (air conduction). Rinne POSITIVE (normal/SNHL): AC > BC. Rinne NEGATIVE (conductive loss): BC > AC.

7. Explain Weber test interpretation in conductive versus sensorineural hearing loss.

   Tuning fork placed on forehead/midline. Sound lateralizes TO the affected ear in conductive hearing loss; lateralizes AWAY from (to the better ear) in sensorineural hearing loss.

8. What is otitis externa and what is the most common bacterial cause?

   Inflammation of the external auditory canal ('swimmer's ear'); presents with otalgia, tragal tenderness, discharge. Most common organism: Pseudomonas aeruginosa (also Staphylococcus aureus).

9. What organism causes malignant (necrotizing) otitis externa and in whom?

   Pseudomonas aeruginosa, typically in elderly diabetics or immunocompromised patients. It is osteomyelitis of the skull base; can cause cranial nerve palsies (especially facial nerve).

10. Define acute otitis media and list the three most common causative organisms.

    Acute suppurative infection of the middle ear. Top organisms: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Haemophilus influenzae, and Moraxella catarrhalis.

11. What is a cholesteatoma and why is it dangerous?

    Abnormal keratinizing squamous epithelium (skin) trapped in the middle ear/mastoid. Dangerous because it erodes bone, causing ossicular destruction, facial palsy, labyrinthine fistula, and intracranial complications. Treatment is surgical (mastoidectomy).

12. What is otosclerosis and its classic clinical features?

    Abnormal bone remodeling around the stapes footplate fixing it to the oval window. Causes progressive conductive hearing loss (often bilateral), tinnitus, paracusis willisii, and Schwartze sign (pink flush on promontory). Treatment: stapedectomy or hearing aid.

13. What is the classic triad of Meniere's disease?

    Episodic vertigo (lasting minutes to hours), fluctuating sensorineural hearing loss (low frequencies first), and tinnitus, with aural fullness. Caused by endolymphatic hydrops.

14. What is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and the diagnostic/therapeutic maneuvers?

    Brief vertigo triggered by head position changes due to otoconia (canaliths) in the posterior semicircular canal. Diagnosed by Dix-Hallpike maneuver; treated with the Epley (canalith repositioning) maneuver.

15. How do you distinguish vestibular neuritis from labyrinthitis?

    Vestibular neuritis: acute vertigo WITHOUT hearing loss (only vestibular nerve affected). Labyrinthitis: vertigo WITH hearing loss (cochlea and vestibule involved). Both typically post-viral.

16. List the degrees of hearing loss by audiometric thresholds (dB HL).

    Normal: ≤25 dB; Mild: 26–40 dB; Moderate: 41–55 dB; Moderately severe: 56–70 dB; Severe: 71–90 dB; Profound: >90 dB.

17. What does a Type B (flat) tympanogram indicate?

    Type B (flat, no peak) indicates middle ear effusion (otitis media with effusion), tympanic membrane perforation, or impacted cerumen. Type A is normal; Type C indicates negative middle ear pressure (Eustachian tube dysfunction).

18. What is presbycusis?

    Age-related, bilateral, symmetrical, progressive sensorineural hearing loss, affecting high frequencies first. Causes difficulty understanding speech in noisy environments.

19. What is the notch seen in noise-induced hearing loss on an audiogram?

    A characteristic dip (notch) at 4000 Hz (4 kHz) on pure-tone audiometry, with recovery at higher frequencies.

20. List Little's area and its clinical significance in epistaxis.

    Little's area (Kiesselbach's plexus) on the anteroinferior nasal septum is the site of anastomosis of vessels (sphenopalatine, anterior/posterior ethmoidal, greater palatine, superior labial arteries). It is the most common site of anterior epistaxis.

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