A 29-year-old woman has been diagnosed with otosclerosis after ...

[D2AR0N]

A 29-year-old woman has been diagnosed with otosclerosis after several years of progressive hearing loss. What pathophysiological process has characterized her diagnosis?
 
  A)
  New spongy bone has been formed around her stapes and oval window.
  B)
  Her incus, malleus, and stapes have become disconnected from her normal neural pathways.
  C)
  Her temporal bone is experiencing unusually rapid resorption.
  D)
  Her tympanic cavity is becoming filled with bone due to inappropriate osteogenesis.

Question 2

During a physical exam, the nurse practitioner notes that the patient's optic disk is very pale with a larger size/depth of the optic cup. At this point, they are thinking the patient may have
 
  A)
  glaucoma.
  B)
  diabetes retinopathy.
  C)
  macular degeneration.
  D)
  retinal tear.

[lolol]

Answer to Question 1

Ans:
A

Feedback:

Otosclerosis begins with resorption of bone in one or more foci. During active bone resorption, the bone structure appears spongy and softer than normal (i.e., osteospongiosis). The resorbed bone is replaced by an overgrowth of new, hard, sclerotic bone. Distortion of neural pathways, resorption of the temporal bone, and filling of the tympanic cavity do not occur with otosclerosis.

Answer to Question 2

Ans:
A

Feedback:

The normal optic disk has a central depression called the optic cup. With progressive atrophy of axons caused by increased intraocular pressure, pallor of the optic disk develops, and the size and depth of the optic cup increase. Diabetes retinopathy, macular degeneration, nor retinal tear has these clinical manifestations.