Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Gangnam Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 211 Eonju-ro, Seoul, 06229, Republic of Korea.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, 50-1 Yonsei-ro, Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, 03722, Republic of Korea.
Sci Rep. 2023 Oct 18;13(1):17716. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-44812-1.
Suggested several decades ago, the nine-step test is an intuitive test of Eustachian tube function. However, studies employing the nine-step test to assess the results of Eustachian tube balloon dilation (EBD) are limited. We aimed to objectively evaluate the efficacy of EBD in opening failure patients with decreased maximal peak pressure difference (MPD) using the nine-step test. Patients who had MPD values ≤ 13 daPa in the nine-step test were enrolled. The patients were categorized into two groups according to treatment decisions after discussion with a clinician: an EBD group (N = 26) and a medication group (N = 30). One month after treatment, the seven-item Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ7) and the nine-step test were administered to all participants and subgroups of symptomatic participants (ETDQ7 > 15). MPD improved (increased) in both the EBD group and the medication group. ETDQ7 values improved (decreased) in the EBD group, but not in the medication group. In subgroup analysis, MPD and ETDQ7 values improved only in the symptomatic EBD group. According to the nine-step test, EBD can normalize 53.8% of decreased MPD. Posttreatment MPD and ETDQ7 scores were significantly better in the EBD group than in the medication group. However, EBD in patients with abnormal nine-step test results seemed less efficacious when the treatment results of the medication group were considered.
该九步测试法于几十年前被提出，是一种直观的咽鼓管功能测试方法。然而，运用九步测试法评估咽鼓管球囊扩张（EBD）效果的研究是有限的。我们旨在通过九步测试法客观评估 EBD 对最大峰压差值（MPD）降低的咽鼓管开放失败患者的疗效。将 MPD 值≤13 daPa 的患者纳入本研究。根据与临床医生讨论后的治疗决策，将患者分为 EBD 组（N=26）和药物组（N=30）。治疗 1 个月后，对所有参与者和有症状参与者亚组（ETDQ7>15）进行七项咽鼓管功能障碍问卷（ETDQ7）和九步测试。EBD 组和药物组的 MPD 均改善（增加）。EBD 组的 ETDQ7 值改善（降低），而药物组则没有。在亚组分析中，仅在有症状的 EBD 组中 MPD 和 ETDQ7 值改善。根据九步测试法，EBD 可使 53.8%的 MPD 降低恢复正常。EBD 组治疗后的 MPD 和 ETDQ7 评分明显优于药物组。然而，当考虑药物组的治疗效果时，EBD 对九步测试结果异常的患者似乎效果较差。
