Dimensions and position of the Eustachian tube in Humans.

Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction is one of the causes for chronic otitis media. To develop new therapies such as stents to facilitate middle ear ventilation, a better knowledge on dimensions and positions of the ET in individual patients is necessary. Cone beam CT scans of 143 patients were retrospectively investigated.

Stenting the Eustachian tube to treat chronic otitis media - a feasibility study in sheep.

Background: Untreated chronic otitis media severely impairs quality of life in affected individuals. Local destruction of the middle ear and subsequent loss of hearing are common sequelae, and currently available treatments provide limited relief. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to evaluate the feasibility of the insertion of a coronary stent from the nasopharynx into the Eustachian tube in-vivo in sheep and to make an initial assessment of its positional stability, tolerance by the animal, and possible tissue reactions.