Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-2brh9 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-26T14:08:02.975Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Preliminary results of a pilot study on the safety and efficacy of balloon dilatation of the Eustachian tube for nasopharyngeal cancer patients with chronic Eustachian tube dysfunction post irradiation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2021

M S L Wong*
Affiliation:
Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
N Prepageran
Affiliation:
Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Michael Wong, Otorhinolaryngology Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Jalan Universiti, 50603Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia E-mail: [email protected]

Abstract

Objective

Eustachian tube dysfunction is a known complication following radiotherapy to the head and neck region. Unfortunately, treatment options are limited, with significant associated morbidity. Balloon Eustachian tube dilatation has been used successfully to treat Eustachian tube dysfunction; hence, this study aimed to determine the safety and efficacy of this method in treating Eustachian tube dysfunction in post-radiotherapy patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Method

This interventional cohort pilot study on patients with Eustachian tube dysfunction compared those with nasopharyngeal carcinoma to patients without. Outcome assessment was based on tympanometry type and Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire score.

Results

A total of 14 ears (12 patients) were tested. Only 14 per cent of the nasopharyngeal carcinoma cohort showed improvement, while 71 per cent of the non-nasopharyngeal carcinoma group were successfully treated. No significant adverse effect was reported in any patient during this study.

Conclusion

Balloon Eustachian tube dilatation was not shown to be beneficial for post-radiotherapy Eustachian tube dysfunction in nasopharyngeal carcinoma patients in the preliminary stages of this pilot study.

Type
Main Articles
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2021. Published by Cambridge University Press

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

Dr M S L Wong takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

References

Schwarz, Y, Manogaran, M, Danial, S. Ventilation tubes in middle ear effusion post-nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiation: to insert or not? Laryngoscope 2016;126:2649–5110.1002/lary.26149CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bhandare, N, Antonelli, P, Morris, C, Malapaya, R, Mendenhall, W. Ototoxicity after radiotherapy for head and neck tumours. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 2007;67:469–7910.1016/j.ijrobp.2006.09.017CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Jereczek-Fossa, BA, Zorowski, A, Milani, F, Orrechia, R. Radiotherapy-induced ear ototoxicity. Cancer Treat Rev 2003;29:417–3010.1016/S0305-7372(03)00066-5CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Poe, D, Silvola, J, Pyykko, I. Balloon dilation of the cartilaginous Eustachian tube. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2011;144:563–910.1177/0194599811399866CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Williams, B, Taylor, B, Clifton, N, Bance, M. Balloon dilation of the Eustachian tube: a tympanometric outcomes analysis. J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2016;45:1310.1186/s40463-016-0126-6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Catalano, P, Jonnalagadda, S, Yu, V. Balloon catheter dilatation of eustachian tube: a preliminary study. Otol Neurotol 2012;33:1549–5210.1097/MAO.0b013e31826a50c3CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Poe, D, Anand, V, Dean, M, Roberts, WH, Stolovitzky, JP, Hoffmann, K et al. Balloon dilation of the eustachian tube for dilatory dysfunction: a randomized controlled trial. Laryngoscope 2018;128:1200–610.1002/lary.26827CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McCoul, ED, Anand, VK, Christos, PJ. Validating the clinical assessment of Eustachian tube dysfunction: the Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ-7). Laryngoscope 2012;122:1137–4110.1002/lary.23223CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Xu, YD, Ou, YK, Zheng, YQ, Chen, Y, Ji, SF. The treatment for postirradiation otitis media with effusion: a study of three methods. Laryngoscope 2008;118:2040–310.1097/MLG.0b013e31818208d6CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Ockermann, T, Reineke, U, Upile, T, Ebmeyer, J, Sudhoff, H. Balloon dilation eustachian tuboplasty: a feasibility study. Otol Neurotol 2010;31:1100–310.1097/MAO.0b013e3181e8cc6dCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Abdel-Aziz, T, Schroder, S, Lehmann, M, Gehl, HB, Ebmeyer, J, Sudhoff, H. Computed tomography before balloon Eustachian tuboplasty - a true necessity? Otol Neurotol 2014;35:635–810.1097/MAO.0000000000000214CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Huisman, JML, Verdam, FJ, Stegeman, I, de Ru, JA. Treatment of Eustachian tube dysfunction with balloon dilation: a systemic review. Laryngoscope 2017;128:237–4710.1002/lary.26800CrossRefGoogle Scholar