Background

Otologic symptoms consistent with Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) are common in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS), but can also occur independently of CRS as primary ETD. It is unclear if CRS+ETD is similar to primary ETD or how treatment outcomes compare.

Methods

A systematic search of PubMed, CINAHL, Scopus, and Cochrane Library was conducted following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses. Any study describing ETD in CRS was included. Primary ETD studies were limited to those with pre- and post-operative Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7) scores in ETD treated only with Eustachian tube balloon dilation (ETBD).

Results

Sixteen studies were included: nine studies with 1336 consecutive patients with CRS and seven studies with 161 patients with primary ETD. In studies with specific data, 225 (47.2%) patients with CRS had a score greater than 14.5, consistent with ETD. In CRS+ETD, baseline mean ETDQ-7 score was 20.7±8.4 and did not differ by polyp status. In primary ETD, mean ETDQ-7 score was significantly higher than CRS+ETD (29.5±8.1, p<0.0001). Regarding treatment outcomes, CRS+ETD treated with ESS alone resulted in mean ETDQ-7 in the normal range (13.2±5.3), with a mean change of –7.4 [95%CI -10.82, -3.99] (p<0.00001). Patients with primary ETD treated with ETBD had post-operative ETDQ7 scores of 14.9±7.5 with mean change of -13.9 [-18.01, -9.88], p<0.00001.

Conclusion

ETD is noted in approximately half of patients with CRS. Outcomes of CRS+ETD treated with ESS alone are similar to those of patients with primary ETD treated with ETBD.

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