Referred otalgia in head and neck cancer: a unifying schema

Pain referred to the ear is a commonly encountered clinical event, and the differential diagnoses that must be considered for pain in a normal ear are numerous. For physicians involved in the treatment of patients with referred ear pain, especially those involved in the care of patients with head and neck malignancies, a basic understanding of the mechanisms involved to produce this phenomenon is required. Several sources offer figures outlining the neuroanatomic basis of nonotogenic ear pain. On occasion, there has been omission of various components in this referred otalgia pathway, however. The authors propose a unified schema and outline potential areas of "nervous system error" giving rise to pain in a clinically normal ear.