The infant's pre-tympanic region of the eustachian tube in health and disease

The size of the eustachian tube lumen of the pre-tympanic segment in infants and children from birth up to two years is presented. The material consisted of serially sectioned 28 eustachian tubes of normal temporal bones and 13 eustachian tubes of temporal bones harboring acute and secretory otitis media. The size of the eustachian tube lumen was measured with the aid of a millimetric grid mounted on a microscope. These measurements have shown that: (a) there is no increase in the lumen size of the pre-tympanic region of the auditory tube from birth to two years of age. (b) Each age group presents a considerable range in luminal size, compatible with a natural biological distribution. (c) No obstruction of the eustachian tube lumen was encountered in any of the pathological specimens. (d) There is no significant statistical difference between the lumen size of the pre-tympanic region coming from normal temporal bones as compared to those from temporal bones with acute or secretory otitis media.