What is the differential diagnosis for redness of the tympanic membrane and redness and swelling behind the ear?

Redness of the tympanic membrane and redness behind the ear are most often seen in patients with intracranial venous sinus occlusive cranial hypertension, most patients have perforated tympanic membrane with pus, and some patients have redness of the tympanic membrane and redness behind the ear. Intracranial venous sinus and venous thrombosis is the main cause of cerebral venous reflux and impaired cerebrospinal fluid absorption, which results in cranial hypertension, and this particular type of cranial hypertension is called venous sinus occlusive cranial hypertension. Transverse sinus thrombosis is mostly due to otitis media or mastoiditis lasting several weeks, the patient has headache, which is aggravated by head rotation, vomiting, skin vein congestion behind the ear, and if phlebitis has extended to the internal jugular vein, there is tenderness in the neck, optic disc edema, which is mostly confined to the diseased side and is not severe, and focal encephalitis symptoms are convulsions and light hemiparesis on the opposite side. When the left transverse sinus thrombosis can manifest aphasia, most patients have tympanic membrane perforation and pus flow, and some patients have red tympanic membrane and postauricular redness. The diagnosis of intracranial venous sinus occlusion mostly depends on clinical manifestations, such as headache, nausea, vomiting and optic disc edema of cranial hypertension, as well as local neurological localization signs and local infection lesions related to venous sinus thrombosis and related systemic factors. In recent years, due to the large number and wide application of antibiotics, venous sinus thrombosis caused by local infection tends to be subacute and chronic in origin, and some patients only have chronic cranial hypertension, but lack other typical manifestations of venous sinus thrombosis, and only show symptoms of high cranial pressure. 1. Superior sagittal sinus occlusion is mostly non-infectious and is often associated with hemodynamic abnormalities. In acute onset, early symptoms include headache, vomiting, delirium, and convulsions. The scalp and external nasal veins may be angry and congested, the infant fontanelle is tense and elevated, and sometimes there may be optic disc edema and strabismus. Bilateral cortical hemiparesis, or focal epilepsy, may also develop. In chronic onset, there may be only headache, optic disc edema or secondary optic nerve atrophy as a result of the establishment of cortical venous collateral circulation and partial compensation. 2, transverse sinus thrombosis Mostly due to otitis media or mastoiditis lasting for several weeks, the patient has headache, aggravated by head rotation, may have vomiting, skin venous congestion behind the ear, if phlebitis has extended to the internal jugular vein, there is tenderness in the neck, optic disc edema, mostly confined to the diseased side, and the degree is not heavy, focal encephalitis symptoms then convulsions with contralateral light hemiparesis. When the left transverse sinus thrombosis is present, aphasia can be manifested, most patients have perforated tympanic membrane and pus, and some patients have red tympanic membrane and redness behind the ear. 3, cavernous sinus thrombosis Mostly secondary to periorbital, nasal and facial infections, clinical manifestations are prominent in the eyes and face, mainly due to cerebral nerve, sympathetic nerve and venous reflux disorders. Damage to the 1st and 2nd branches of the arterioles, talipes, adductor and trigeminal nerves, and damage to the sympathetic plexus of the carotid artery cause Horner’s sign, retinal hemorrhage, optic disc edema and optic nerve atrophy may occur in the fundus, and venous return obstruction may cause protrusion of the eyeball and eyelid edema. 4, intracerebral venous thrombosis Intracerebral venous thrombosis caused by dural venous sinus or cerebral cortex venous thrombosis is common in children, the consequence of which is hemorrhagic infarction in the distribution area of the vein, the most prominent sites are the hyaloid septum, striatum, thalamus, ventral part of corpus callosum, lateral part of occipital lobe and the inner top of each lateral cerebellum, and the clinical manifestation of corresponding symptoms. The diagnosis of intracranial venous sinus occlusion relies on clinical manifestations, such as headache, nausea, vomiting and optic disc edema as symptoms of cranial hypertension, as well as local neurological localization signs and local infectious lesions related to venous sinus thrombosis and related systemic factors. In recent years, due to the extensive and widespread use of antibiotics, venous sinus thrombosis caused by local infection tends to be subacute and chronic in origin, and some patients only have chronic cranial hypertension and lack other typical manifestations of venous sinus thrombosis, but only show symptoms of high cranial pressure.