Table 2:

Suggested cross-sectional imaging search pattern for secondary otalgia

Component	Specific Sites of Interest
Ear and temporal bone	External earExternal auditory canalMiddle ear, mastoidInner ear, otic capsule, and petrous apexPeriauricular soft tissues
Central nervous system	Midbrain, pons, and medullaUpper cervical spinal cord
Upper cervical nerves (C II and C III)	Occipitocervical and atlantoaxial jointsSpinal canal and neural foramina (C II and C III)Extracranial course of great auricular and lesser occipital nerves
CN V, CN VII, CN IX, and CN X	Cisternal segmentsSkull base or temporal bone segmentsExtracranial segments (masticator, parotid, and carotid spaces)Major waystations (pterygopalatine fossa and geniculate  ganglion)
“End organs” of innervation	Major salivary glands (parotid, submandibular, and sublingual)OrbitsNose and sinonasal cavityOral cavity (tongue, mucosa, and palate)Maxilla and mandible (teeth and TMJ)Pharynx (nasopharynx, oropharynx, and hypopharynx)LarynxVisceral space (thyroid, esophagus, and trachea)Carotid space (carotid artery and internal jugular vein)Lymph nodes (cervical, retropharyngeal, and intraparotid)
“Corners” of the examination	Imaged portions of the brainImaged portions of the chest