Myringotomy and tube for relief of patulous eustachian tube symptoms.

Reports on the effectiveness of myringotomy and tube for treatment of symptoms of the patulous eustachian tube are discouraging, even though there are no large series substantiating its ineffectiveness. To further investigate this problem, we have reviewed the charts of all patients at the Otologic Medical Group (OMG) from 1974 to 1981 with the diagnosis of patulous eustachian tube who underwent myringotomy and tube for their symptoms. We identified 60 ears of 46 patients with complaints consistent with patulous eustachian tube symptoms. The treatment either eliminated or substantially reduced symptoms in 32 ears (53%). For the other 28 ears, myringotomy and tube were of no benefit. Nine of 13 (70%) ears with a definitive diagnosis based on movement of the tympanic membrane with respiration or tympanometry showed relief of symptoms with myringotomy and tube. Myringotomy and tube will remain part of the treatment regimen because it is relatively simple to perform, reversible, and effective in the majority of patients.