Scanning electron microscopic study of human eustachian tube epithelium: aging and pathologic changes.

Scanning electron microscopic study of human Eustachian tube epithelium showed that numerous secretory cells and compound cilia were observed mostly in children while with advancing age squamous or cuboidal cells were largely increased in contrast with decreasing number of ciliated and secretory cells. In the cases of otitis media with effusion, findings were characterized by the mucous hypersecretion and abnormal cilia. Thus, mucociliary function of the tubal epithelium may easily be impaired in children and elderly adults, and the accumulation of fluid may consequently be induced in the middle ear cavity.