Effects of systemic hyperoxia on eustachian tube ventilatory function.

Middle ear negative pressure and effusions, decreased middle ear compliance, and abnormal tympanometry results have been described after diving on oxygen. Middle ear gas hyperoxia has been shown to down-regulate the eustachian tube ventilatory function (ETVF). The purpose of the present study was to investigate to what extent systemic hyperoxia in the face of air-equivalent middle ear gas composition might interfere with the ETVF. ETVF was investigated in four young adult female cynomolgus monkeys by the forced-response and inflation-deflation tests using air while the animals breathed either room air or 100% normobaric oxygen. Higher opening, closing, and steady-state pressures were observed under systemic hyperoxia. The percentage of the applied pressure equalized, and the maximal pressure change on a single swallow in the deflation test were both lower under hyperoxic conditions. The results show that systemic hyperoxia might impair ETVF. This observation adds to our understanding of the pathophysiology of middle ear dysfunction observed after diving on oxygen.