Eustachian Tube Dysfunction

PURPOSE: Balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube (BDET) has not been evaluated extensively in children outside of retrospective case series. The purpose of this study is to report the long-term safety and efficacy of this procedure in children with matched controls. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a two-center retrospective matched cohort study. Children having undergone tympanostomy tube (TT) placement and adenoidectomy with recurrence of symptoms underwent BDET at an academic affiliated multi-specialty practice...

INTRODUCTION: Patulous Eustachian tube (PET) is a condition affecting approximately 0.3% to 6.6% of the population, with autophony being the predominant complain. The management of PET lacks a well-defined standard in the literature as no effective medical treatments have been documented but various surgical options are available. This study aims to report mid-term outcomes following surgical management of PET. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients who underwent surgical intervention for PET between September 2017 and June 2022 were enrolled...

Obesity has emerged as a pressing concern in contemporary society, prompting an increase in bariatric surgery (BS) procedures for severe obesity management. Post-bariatric weight loss might cause complications, such as a reduction in the soft tissue surrounding the Eustachian tube, potentially affecting its function. This cohort prospective study, conducted between May and December 2022, aimed to assess the impact of post-bariatric acute weight loss on Eustachian tube function. A total of 54 cases of bariatric surgery and 157 control subjects were included in the study...

OBJECTIVE: The expanded endonasal transpterygoid approach (EETA) is used to access the middle and posterior fossa through the pterygoid process. Traditionally, the eustachian tube (ET) was resected during EETA, which often required subsequent myringotomy for inner ear drainage. Anterolateral transposition of the ET was proposed to decrease potential morbidity associated with resection. However, a comparison of resection versus transposition regarding the need for subsequent myringotomy has not been reported...

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of employing a Eustachian tube video endoscope with a supporting balloon as a viable treatment and examination option for patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction. METHODS: A study involving nine fresh human cadaver heads was conducted to investigate the potential of balloon dilatation Eustachian tuboplasty using a Eustachian tube video endoscope and a supporting balloon catheter. The Eustachian tube cavity was examined with the Eustachian tube video endoscope during the procedure, which involved the dilatation of the cartilaginous portion of the Eustachian tube with the supporting balloon catheter...

BACKDOWN: In this study, the authors, each for their own skills, on the basis of clinical, psychological, endoscopic investigations, evaluated the probable relationship between the laryngopharyngeal reflux present in gastroesophageal reflux disease, and the dysfunction of the Eustachian tube. At the end of the study, after a phase of medical therapy for GERD, they found that laryngopharyngeal acid reflux was in fact the basis of audiological symptoms and chronic dysfunction of the Eustachian tube...

OBJECTIVES: To investigate how eustachian tube dysfunction symptoms change following surgical treatment of nonsinusitis-related nasal obstruction. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective chart review. SETTING: Single academic center. METHODS: We assessed patients who underwent septoplasty, turbinate reduction, or both for nasal obstruction. Chronic sinusitis patients were excluded. Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) symptoms were studied using the Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7), collected preoperatively and postoperatively (1 week, 1 month, 3 months, 6 months postop)...

BACKGROUND: Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is a common disorder causing ear pressure, pain, and hearing loss. Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is an emerging technique for dilating the Eustachian tube and treating ETD. Whether adding myringotomy improves BET efficacy is controversial. METHODS: This retrospective study included 95 ETD patients undergoing BET alone ( n = 44) or BET with myringotomy (BET + M; n = 51) between June 2020 and August 2021 at a single medical center...

PURPOSE: This study aimed to reveal occupational effects on the hearing of hot air balloon (HAB) pilots and examine the relationship between the duration of experience and these effects. METHOD: This study included 31 male HAB pilots and a control group of 32 male participants. Tympanometry, eustachian tube function (ETF) test, pure-tone audiometry, and transient evoked otoacoustic emission (TEOAE) tests were performed. RESULTS: Pure-tone audiometry results were significantly worse at 125, 500, and 6000 Hz in the right ear and 125, 500, 4000, and 6000 Hz in the left ear in the HAB group than the control group...

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this work is to compare between different techniques of adenoidectomy: endoscopic microdebrider-assisted, coblation and conventional adenoidectomy and its effect on middle ear pressure. BACKGROUND: Adenoidectomy, either alone or with tonsillectomy, is considered among the most performed procedures in pediatric otorhinolaryngology. This procedure usually related to the Eustachian tube function and middle ear status. Eustachian tube dysfunction is mainly caused by mechanical obstruction of the tubal orifice, insufficient swallowing and inflammation in the nasopharyngeal mucosa...

OBJECTIVES: To assess the influence of different soft palate surgeries for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) on eustachian tube function symptoms, considering various potential factors. METHODS: A prospective, cohort study was conducted on patients who underwent isolated palatal surgeries for OSA at a single academic medical center between 2017 and 2022. Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) were assessed at baseline, 1-month, 2-month, and 3-month time points...

Suggested several decades ago, the nine-step test is an intuitive test of Eustachian tube function. However, studies employing the nine-step test to assess the results of Eustachian tube balloon dilation (EBD) are limited. We aimed to objectively evaluate the efficacy of EBD in opening failure patients with decreased maximal peak pressure difference (MPD) using the nine-step test. Patients who had MPD values ≤ 13 daPa in the nine-step test were enrolled. The patients were categorized into two groups according to treatment decisions after discussion with a clinician: an EBD group (N = 26) and a medication group (N = 30)...

PURPOSE: This study retrospectively evaluated the efficacy and versatility of reopening procedures for the permanent occlusion of the cartilaginous Eustachian tube (POET) by analyzing four consecutive cases. METHODS: The study included all patients diagnosed with POET who suffered from Eustachian tube occlusion and glue ear. A combined approach of endoscopic transnasal/transoral laser surgery was utilized to reopen the POET. This was subsequently followed by balloon dilation (BET) and stenting for a duration of six weeks...

OBJECTIVE: Children with cleft palate (CP) are at high risk of developing otitis media with effusion (OME) due to Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction. Palatoplasty has been reported to decrease the frequency of middle ear disease and improve ET function, and although various techniques have been developed, there is no consensus on the differences in the impact of different techniques on the middle ear. The purpose of this study was to determine the differential effects of palatoplasty on middle ear function and hearing...

Balloon dilatation of the Eustachian tube (BET) is a surgical treatment method for Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), which relieves the symptoms in the majority of cases. However, there are potential intraoperative risks associated with BET; the decision-making process with regard to indications for BET is not standardized up to date. The objective of this study was to review the role of computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the preoperative planning of BET. The literature review is based on a database search performed in August 2022...

INTRODUCTION: Balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) is used to treat obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction (OETD) and recurrent otitis media with effusion (OME). However, there are no indisputable evidence of its efficacy. Here, we present a multicenter, double-blinded, randomized, placebo-controlled trial (MDRCT) design to evaluate the efficacy of BET, and the results of a pilot trial with 3- and 12-months' follow-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a prospective MDRCT...

PURPOSE: Chronic obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction (OETD) can lead to tympanic membrane (TM) retraction and middle ear effusion (MEE) which can cause conductive hearing impairment, which among other ear symptoms can lower the quality of life (QoL). In this prospective study we assess hearing results and subjective changes in QoL following balloon Eustachian tuboplasty (BET) in treatment of OETD. METHODS: Totally 25 ears with TM retraction and 18 ears with MEE due to chronic OETD underwent BET as the sole intervention...

ETD symptoms are present in 16% patients with underlying skull base pathology. Preoperative ETD symptoms improve following surgical treatment of skull base pathology. ETD symptoms may worsen in patients with central, posterior, or malignant skull base pathology.

BACKGROUND: OSMF is now recognized worldwide as an Indian disease. Blanching and rigidity of the oral mucosa, impaired mobility of the soft palate and tongue, difficulty opening the mouth, burning sensation, lack of gustatory sensation, and mild deafness due to Eustachian tube dysfunction. Soft palatal muscles often affect Eustachian tube function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rama Dental College Hospital and research center Kanpur conducted a cross-sectional study. 60 OSMF patients were randomly selected for this study...

Background A patulous Eustachian tube (PET) is defined as a persistent tubal opening, which affects 0.3-6.6% of the population, with a female preponderance. PET is caused by the loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue enclosing the cartilaginous portion of the Eustachian tube (Ostmann's pad) as a result of acute, rapid, and substantial loss of weight which occurs during bariatric surgery. The most common complaint of PET is autophony, in which patients hear their own voices or breaths, with additional symptoms including crackling sounds, tinnitus, and aural congestion...