Takahashi H, Hayashi M, Honjo I
Am J Otolaryngol. 1987 May-Jun;8(3):154-6. doi: 10.1016/s0196-0709(87)80038-8.
To analyze the compliance of the eustachian tube, we measured the decrease in tubal resistance (pressure/air flow) with increasing air flow rate through the eustachian tubal lumen. When the eustachian tube is compliant, the tubal resistance decreases greatly because of the high distensibility of the tube. The tubal compliance index (TCI), which is the ratio of the tubal resistance between two different air flow rates, was compared among three groups: 36 ears of children with otitis media with effusion (OME), 26 ears of adult OME patients, and 10 otherwise normal ears with traumatic perforations of the eardrum. Compared with normal subjects, OME children had a significantly higher TCI (P less than .005), whereas OME adults had a significantly lower TCI (P less than .05). From these results, we concluded that eustachian tubes are compliant in children with OME but rigid in adults with OME.
为分析咽鼓管的顺应性，我们测量了随着通过咽鼓管腔的气流速率增加时，咽鼓管阻力（压力/气流）的降低情况。当咽鼓管具有顺应性时，由于其高扩张性，咽鼓管阻力会大幅降低。比较了三组的咽鼓管顺应性指数（TCI），即两种不同气流速率下的咽鼓管阻力之比：36例分泌性中耳炎（OME）儿童的耳、26例成人OME患者的耳以及10例鼓膜外伤性穿孔的其他正常耳。与正常受试者相比，OME儿童的TCI显著更高（P小于0.005），而OME成人的TCI显著更低（P小于0.05）。从这些结果来看，我们得出结论，OME儿童的咽鼓管具有顺应性，而OME成人的咽鼓管则僵硬。
