Magnetic resonance imaging illustrating change in the Ostmann fat pad with age.

A retrospective analysis of 35 skull base patients with no history of eustachian tube dysfunction who had magnetic resonance imaging at our institution between 2006 and 2007 was conducted. The fat pad of Ostmann surface area, the eustachian tube medial cartilage, and the tensor veli palatini muscle surface area were measured in all scans. The change in anatomic structures with age was compared and showed no parameter changes except for the Ostmann fat pad, which decreased in size with age (correlation coefficient = 0.0629). There was no statistical significance between males and females in all parameters.