Compliance of the patulous eustachian tube.

The compliance and ventilatory functions of the eustachian tube (ET) of 17 ears with patulous ETs were examined and compared to those of 16 ears with traumatic perforation of the eardrum (controls) by means of the tubal compliance test, the inflation-deflation test, and the forced response test. The tubal compliance was significantly lower in the patulous ETs than in the controls. An excessive patency of the ET was confirmed among the patients with patulous ETs by a low opening pressure during the inflation test and a low passive resistance on the forced response test. Active ventilatory dysfunction was also found to be significantly more common in the patulous ETs by the deflation test and the measure of dilation efficiency. These results indicated that the ET appeared to be rather rigid and less moveable when patulous than when normal.