Abnormally wide eustachian tubes involving the sphenoid bone: A collection

Abstract

ObjectivesTo present nine patients with an abnormal widened bony Eustachian tube running anteriorly in the skull base through the sphenoid bone.MethodsPatients with a particular anomaly in the bony Eustachian tube incidentally found on CT examinations were registered consecutively over a period of four years.ResultsNine patients had the anomaly, eight unilaterally and one bilaterally. All our patients had additional anomalies involving the outer, middle, and/or inner ear.ConclusionThe consequences of this anomaly remain unknown, but the presence of the widened, bony ET should increase the awareness for complex temporal bone deformities and vice versa.Level of Evidence4.

Congenital enlargement of the bony Eustachian tube: A retrospective study of the clinical and radiological features in nine patients

“…The average maximum length of the bony ET was 22.49 ± 3.94 mm in our study, which is significantly longer than the bony ET in healthy individuals. Moreover, we found bulges on both sides of the enlarged ET during extension from the tympanic cavity to the sphenoid bone, which is consistent with the findings of Falkenberg-Jensen et al 5 Given the shared origin of the external and middle ear, bony ET enlargement can be combined with external ear and other middle ear structure abnormalities. However, the inner ear has a different origin, and external/middle ear malformation complications are rare.…”

“…A study of ET width in nine patients (10 ears) with abnormal enlargement of the bony ET reported an average maximum width of 5.7 mm and an average minimum width of 3.0 mm. 5 In cases reported by Haginomori et al, 2 Jovankovičová et al 4 and Khan et al, 6 the maximum widths of the bony ET were 6, 7 and 5 mm, respectively. In our study, the average maximum width of the bony ET was 5.98 ± 2.01 mm, which is similar to that in previous reports.…”

“…Most ET malformations occur in the cartilaginous portion, and cases of abnormal enlargement of the bony portion are rare 4 . The few cases reported mainly describe imaging manifestations of enlarged bony ET and associated syndromes; however, no detailed description of any additional clinical features or imaging characteristics of other structures has been reported 2,4–6 . Middle ear diseases, such as cholesteatoma, are more likely to extend to the sphenoid sinus through the enlarged ET 2 .…”

“…4 The few cases reported mainly describe imaging manifestations of enlarged bony ET and associated syndromes; however, no detailed description of any additional clinical features or imaging characteristics of other structures has been reported. 2,[4][5][6] Middle ear diseases, such as cholesteatoma, are more likely to extend to the sphenoid sinus through the enlarged ET. 2 Bacteria and viruses in the nasal cavity or paranasal sinus diseases, such as chronic sinusitis, are also more likely to enter the middle ear through the ET, forming otitis media.…”

Does Sphenoid Pneumatization Affect the Angle of the Eustachian Tube?

“…As the sinus enlarges, some of the neighboring structures create bony prominences and related recesses inside the sinus. As one of the neighboring structures is the ET, these close relationships can affect each other during development and there are specific types of developmental ET anomaly that enter into the sphenoid body or sinus (11). The lateral recess is formed through the aeration of the pterygoid process and greater wing, and the foramen rotundum and Vidian canal create a prominence.…”