Nasal and paranasal sinus disease can cause Eustachian tube (ET) dysfunction leading to middle ear (ME) hypoventilation. Persistent ME hypoventilation can result in ME conditions like retraction of tympanic membrane, otitis media with effusion, and chronic ME disease.

Aim of this study was to evaluate the ET function in cases of sinonasal polyposis. Evaluation was done by doing tympanometry.

This was a hospital-based prospective study consisting of 42 patients (84 ears) of nasal polyposis, of which 27 patients had antrochoanal (AC) polyp and 15 patients had ethmoidal polypi. After thorough history and detail clinical examination, tympanometry was done in all patients 1 day prior to surgery and 4 to 6 weeks after surgery.

Preoperatively in 30 ears (15 patients) of ethmoidal polypi had normal tympanogram (A type) in 40% ears and abnormal tympanogram (B and C) in 60% ears. Postoperatively 80% had A tympanograms and 20% had abnormal tympanogram. There was significant improvement on removal of polypi (p = 0.004). Preoperatively 54 ears (27 patients) of AC polyp had normal tympanogram (type A) in 55.56% ears and abnormal tympanogram (B and C) in 44.44% ears. Postoperatively normal tympanogram was seen in 81.48% and abnormal tympanogram in 18.52% ears, so there was significant improvement after functional endoscopic sinus surgery (p = 0.007).

Eustachian tube dysfunction was present preoperatively in 60 and 44.44% in ethmoidal and AC polypi respectively, while in postoperative period dysfunction was 20 and 18.52%. So function improves on removal of polyp.

Mane SB, Dasgupta KS. Sinonasal Polyposis and Its Effect on Eustachian Tube Function. Clin Rhinol An Int J 2016;9(2):77-80.