{"title":"Testing Eustachian Tube Function.","authors":"Nathan J Creber, Matthew E Smith, James R Tysome","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.03.021","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.03.021","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction exists along a spectrum from obstructive to patulous phenotypes, yet no single gold-standard diagnostic test exists. This review examines current methods for assessing ET function alongside evolving therapeutic interventions. Clinical assessment and patient-reported outcome measures alone have limited diagnostic power. Objective tests, including tympanometry, advanced manometric techniques, and sonotubometry, each offer distinct strengths and limitations. Evidence shows that individual tests demonstrate variable sensitivity and specificity and perform best when combined. An integrated diagnostic approach that incorporates clinical history within a curated pathway of complementary objective measures is advocated to improve diagnostic accuracy and guide intervention selection.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148438920","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Chase Kahn, Christopher Roxbury, Mohamad R Chaaban
{"title":"Obesity, Weight Loss, and Rhinology and Allergy.","authors":"Chase Kahn, Christopher Roxbury, Mohamad R Chaaban","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.06.001","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.06.001","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obesity is a common comorbidity in patients with rhinologic and allergic disease. Through adipokine mediated inflammation, emerging evidence has linked obesity with an increased risk and severity of chronic rhinosinusitis, particularly the nasal polyp phenotype. Reduction of body mass through bariatric surgery and pharmacologic interventions, including glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists, have the potential to reduce sinonasal disease burden and improve surgical outcomes. This review synthesizes current evidence surrounding obesity, weight loss, and rhinology and allergy, with an emphasis on clinically actionable implications for the practicing otolaryngologist.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148426218","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Impact on Medical and Surgical Management.","authors":"Leonard E Estephan, Colin T Huntley","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.05.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.05.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and obesity are increasingly prevalent conditions for which weight loss can have a profound impact. Management strategies for OSA include lifestyle, medical, and surgical interventions. Obesity has been shown to influence adherence to and effectiveness of non-surgical therapies, such as positive pressure therapy. Surgical interventions such as pharyngeal surgery and hypoglossal nerve stimulation are less effective in individuals with obesity, while maxillomandibular advancement is considered efficacious regardless of obesity status. Referral to bariatric surgery should be considered for patients meeting clinical indications. Weight management is crucial for effectively treating patients with OSA.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148383196","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Little Tube; Big Problems: Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.","authors":"Sujana S Chandrasekhar","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.05.006","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.05.006","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148354426","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Diagnostic Algorithm for Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and Indications for Balloon Dilation of the Eustachian Tube.","authors":"Marta Sandoval, Krittayot Patchanee, In Seok Moon","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.012","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review outlines a standardized diagnostic algorithm for balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube (BDET) in obstructive ETD. The algorithm prioritizes excluding differential diagnoses including patulous ETD, temporomandibular joint disorders, and superior canal dehiscence syndrome. Objective tests and patient-reported outcomes help when facing equivocal clinical findings. BDET is indicated for barochallenge-induced ETD, chronic otitis media with effusion, and tympanic membrane retraction pockets after failed medical management, and may adjunct tympanoplasty in adhesive otitis media. Contraindications include patulous ETD and significant Eustachian tube anatomical distortion. Rigorous patient selection remains essential for safe and effective outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.9,"publicationDate":"2026-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148273708","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Patulous Eustachian Tube Dysfunction.","authors":"Juha Tapio Silvola, Dennis S Poe","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.03.002","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.03.002","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Eustachian tube dysfunction represents a continuum ranging from obstructive Eustachian tube dysfunction to patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction (pETD), and there is considerable overlap of symptoms that present challenges in the differential diagnosis. Careful history, physical, endoscopic examination, and audiological testing are all important in distinguishing between these conditions and other causes of aural fullness. There are many different treatment modalities, but none are optimal. The most common methods have a good safety record, and they are repeatable. There is a need for more randomized, controlled trials of treatments for pETD.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148228994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Revisiting Eustachian Tube Anatomy and Physiology.","authors":"Davide Soloperto, Mohamed Badr-El-Dine, Muaaz Tarabichi, Daniele Marchioni","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.010","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The Eustachian tube (ET) it is a complex structure connecting the middle ear cavity with the nasopharynx. Its function is to maintain middle ear ventilation to facilitate transmission of sound from the tympanic membrane to the cochlea. It is located medial to the parapharyngeal space. The ET and tympanomastoid cavities form an anatomic and functional unit that cannot easily be divided, and it plays a fundamental role in the etiology of different clinical entities. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are not yet fully understood, and further research is needed to address the gaps present in the literature.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148220877","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Eustachian Tube Disorders in Children.","authors":"Maia E Walsh, Adrian L James","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.011","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.011","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Chronic pediatric middle ear disease is commonly ascribed to Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD). This article reviews the role of obstructive and patulous ETD in otitis media with effusion, tympanic membrane retraction, cholesteatoma, and perforation. It highlights the lack of reliable diagnostic tests to measure ETD. The contribution of different causes of obstructive ETD is discussed, including the influence of mechanical obstruction, inflammation, allergy, mucociliary dysfunction, and craniofacial anomalies. ETD management has traditionally bypassed the Eustachian tube, for example, with tympanostomy tubes. Balloon dilatation remains controversial in children due to unproven efficacy and safety and the heterogeneous underlying mechanisms of ETD.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-06-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148159121","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Deepak P Chandrasekharan, Mohamed Badr-El-Dine, Adrian L James
{"title":"Interventions for Obstructive Eustachian Tube Dysfunction: An Evidence-Based Umbrella Review of Efficacy and Safety.","authors":"Deepak P Chandrasekharan, Mohamed Badr-El-Dine, Adrian L James","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.008","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.008","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Obstructive eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) contributes to a spectrum of middle ear disorders, including otitis media with effusion (OME), tympanic membrane retraction, and barochallenge-induced symptoms. This review summarizes evidence-based treatment outcomes, focusing on efficacy derived from systematic reviews and safety from additional sources. Medical management has no proven benefits for obstructive ETD. Tympanostomy tubes and adenoidectomy demonstrate age-specific effectiveness for pediatric OME with accepted risks. Some manifestations of ETD may benefit from balloon dilation of the eustachian tube (BDET), or sinonasal surgery, but much evidence is of low quality; indications, long-term benefits, and safety are not clearly established for BDET.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148044495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Mimics.","authors":"Kelly Lee, Maja Svrakic","doi":"10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.007","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.007","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is a commonly suspected cause of aural fullness, otalgia, and hearing loss, but presentation varies among patients. In addition, these symptoms are not specific and can be indicative of other conditions. Some of these conditions are otologic in nature and can be localized to the external, middle, or inner ear. Others arise from outside the ear and can be attributed to functional, neurologic, or structural causes. While presentation may be similar to ETD, differentiation is possible with clinical history, physical examination, and objective testing such as otoscopy, tympanometry, imaging, and specialized vestibular testing.</p>","PeriodicalId":54657,"journal":{"name":"Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-05-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147984452","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}