Function of the Eustachian Tube

Tests of Eustachian tube function: a review.

BACKGROUND Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction is a common but poorly understood cause of patient symptoms, and an important aetiological factor in the development of middle ear pathology. Despite this, there are no specific tests of ET function in widespread clinical use and no identified 'gold standard' with which to diagnose the disease. OBJECTIVE This review aims to review the literature to ...

Update on eustachian tube dysfunction and the patulous eustachian tube.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW The purpose of this review is to summarize the recent knowledge on eustachian tube dysfunction and the patulous eustachian tube. RECENT FINDINGS A clinically useful test for eustachian tube function is still lacking. Narrowing of the isthmus alone was demonstrated to be an insufficient cause of otitis media. Inflammatory mediators identified within the eustachian tube and mi...

Dermoid of the eustachian tube.

Tuboimpedance: A New Test of Eustachian Tube Function.

Objective Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction is most frequently caused by a failure of the ET to adequately open; however, there is currently no reliable method of assessing this. Tubomanometry has recently shown good interindividual repeatability as a measure of ET function by measuring middle ear pressure after the application of regulated nasopharyngeal pressures during swallowing. We present ...

Eustachian tube function before recurrence of otitis media with effusion.

OBJECTIVE To study the role of eustachian tube function in the development of recurrent otitis media with effusion (OME) in children treated with tympanostomy tubes for OME. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Three academic and general hospitals. PATIENTS Children aged 2 to 7 years with a first clinical episode of OME that persisted for at least 3 months; 136 (81%) of 168 eligible c...