Orita Yorihisa, Sando Isamu, Hasebe Seishi, Miura Makoto
Elizabeth McCullough Knowles Otopathology Laboratory, Division of Otopathology, Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Eye and Ear Institute Building Suite 153, 203 Lothrop Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2003 Oct;67(10):1105-12. doi: 10.1016/s0165-5876(03)00219-2.
To delineate a possible role of protective function by Ostmann's fatty tissue (OF) in the lateral region to Eustachian tube (ET).
Morphometric and histopathological examination on human temporal bones.
OF in the region lateral to the cartilaginous portion of the ET between the ET lumen and the tensor veli palatini muscle (TVP) was studied histopathologically and morphometrically by analyzing a series of vertically cut histologic sections for the ET structures. Sections were obtained from 25 individuals with age ranging from 33 gestational weeks to 38 years at the time of their death.
In fetus and neonates, the region lateral to ET was filled with mesenchyme. OF appeared first in this region at 2-3 weeks postnatally, and increased in volume with development of the ET. In the cases of older children and adults (Group-B), the ratio of the volume of OF in the region to that of ET lumen (OF/L) was significantly higher in the posterior half than in the anterior half of the cartilaginous portion of ET. However, in the cases of infants and younger children (Group-A), there was no significant difference in the ratio between the two regions. In the posterior half of the cartilaginous portion of ET, OF/L was significantly higher in Group-B than in Group-A, while in the anterior half, there was no significant difference in the ratio between two age groups (Group-A and B).
In Group-B, the dominant OF in the area of the posterior half of the cartilaginous region, which includes the narrowest portion of ET, may be responsible for restoring the ET lumen back to its closed static condition after active tubal opening by contraction of TVP. This is thought to be important for protection of the middle ear. On the other hand, in Group-A, poor OF near the narrowest portion of ET may cause insufficient restoration of the ET lumen and increased risk of developing otitis media (OM).
阐明咽鼓管外侧区域奥斯特曼脂肪组织（OF）的保护功能可能发挥的作用。
对人类颞骨进行形态计量学和组织病理学检查。
通过分析一系列垂直切割的咽鼓管结构组织学切片，对咽鼓管软骨部外侧、咽鼓管管腔与腭帆张肌（TVP）之间区域的OF进行组织病理学和形态计量学研究。切片取自25例死亡时年龄从孕33周到38岁的个体。
在胎儿和新生儿中，咽鼓管外侧区域充满间充质。OF在出生后2 - 3周首次出现在该区域，并随着咽鼓管的发育而体积增大。在大龄儿童和成人病例（B组）中，该区域OF体积与咽鼓管管腔体积之比（OF/L）在咽鼓管软骨部后半部分显著高于前半部分。然而，在婴幼儿病例（A组）中，两个区域的该比例无显著差异。在咽鼓管软骨部后半部分，B组的OF/L显著高于A组，而在前半部分，两个年龄组（A组和B组）的该比例无显著差异。
在B组中，软骨区域后半部分（包括咽鼓管最狭窄部分）占主导的OF可能负责在TVP收缩使咽鼓管主动开放后，将咽鼓管管腔恢复到闭合的静态状态。这被认为对中耳的保护很重要。另一方面，在A组中，咽鼓管最狭窄部分附近的OF不足可能导致咽鼓管管腔恢复不充分，增加患中耳炎（OM）的风险。
