Comparative anatomy of eustachian tube and middle ear cavity in animal models for otitis media.

The comparative anatomy of the normal eustachian tube (ET) and normal middle ear cavity of three animal species (rat, gerbil, and chinchilla) is described relating to the usefulness of these animals as models for otitis media (OM). Routine histological and anatomical techniques and procedures were used. The gerbil and chinchilla, although of different sizes, are quite similar, having hypertrophied middle ear bullae, nearly vertical ET, and similar histology including seromucous glands draining directly into the ET. In contrast, the rat has a small bulla, a nearly horizontal ET, and a large concentration of goblet cells but few mucous glands in the ET. It appears that the chinchilla and the gerbil may serve as alternative models for OM research. Chinchillas and gerbils are relatively free of naturally occurring OM, while the rat has a high incidence of naturally occurring OM.