Assessment of Eustachian Tube Ventilation
DU Yali
DUAN Qingchuan
Abstract：Adequate ventilation through the Eustachian tube (ET) is essential for normal middle ear function. To accu-rately and objectively assess ET ventilation is of great importance. Various tests are used to assess ET function, including tympanometry, nine-step inflation/deflation test, inflation-deflation test (IDT), forced response test (FRT), tubotympanome-try (TMM) and sonotubometry. Each test has its own advantages and disadvantages, and none of them can alone complete the diagnosis of Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). Integration of these tests may improve the sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis of ETD. Combining these tests with subjective symptom scales seems to be more effective in the diagnosis of ETD. In this review we summarize current understanding of the above tests and assessing strategies of ET function.
Keywords：Eustachian tubeVentilating functionObjective assessmentSymptom scales
Publication Date：2016-01-01
Online Publishing Date：2025-08-15(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：5( 577-581 )