Flexible endoscopy and radiologic evaluation of the eustachian tube in adults with eustachian tube dysfunction.

This study was conducted on 20 adult patients presenting with eustachian tube dysfunction of about 6 months' duration. It included endoscopy of the pharyngeal end of the eustachian tube and contrast radiologic study. Both methods are now available because of technical progress and practical improvements. By these methods, physiologic movements of the soft palate, tubal torus, and tubal orifice can be observed and studied and anatomic variations and pathologic abnormalities can be detected. This study shows that eustachian tube dysfunction may be caused by salpingitis (acute or chronic) or adenoid or nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Scleroma affecting the lumen of the eustachian tube was reported in one case.