Direct middle ear (ME) pressure measurements during 24 h and tubal function tests were performed on 11 subjects with the clinical diagnosis patulous Eustachian tube (PET). The pressure was recorded from the ME via a perforation in the tympanic membrane. The method used has previously been reported in a study on subjects with normal ME function and no symptoms of PET: a normal group. Results fro...

Background and objectives: Type I tympanoplasty is a common otologic surgery which aims to repair the eardrum integrity. Different views have been reported concerning this procedure in young ages and the best moment to perform surgery remains controversial. Surgery in early adolescence appears to achieve the same outcomes than adulthood and without disadvantages of childhood. Characteristics of...

BACKGROUND The atelectatic tympanic membrane poses a significant (and age old) management challenge. Although often without sequelae, the under-ventilated middle ear and retracted drum can progress to ossicular erosion, hearing loss, or cholesteatoma formation. Management of this problem remains difficult given that the etiology of the atelectatic membrane is not completely understood. It is un...

Objectives To discuss eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) as a cause of hearing loss and to discuss its pathogenesis following resection of trigeminal schwannomas. Methods Presented herein are two cases of trigeminal schwannoma that were resected surgically with sacrifice of the motor branch of the trigeminal nerve. Neither of the cases had evidence of extracranial extension nor preoperative ETD....

OBJECTIVE To test the hypothesis that eustachian tube opening efficiency, measured as the fractional gradient equilibrated (FGE), is lower in 6-year-old children with no middle ear disease but a well-documented history of recurrent acute otitis media, as compared with children with a negative disease history (control). STUDY DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SETTING Tertiary care pediatric hosp...