C. Suzuki et al., Postnatal development of Eustachian tube: A computer-aided 3-D reconstruction and measurement study, ACT OTO-LAR, 118(6), 1998, pp. 837-843
The postnatal development of the Eustachian tube (ET) and its surrounding s
tructures was investigated by means of computer-aided three-dimensional (3-
D) reconstruction methods in 13 normal human temporal bones, obtained from
individuals 3 months to 71 years old. The cross-sectional area, width and h
eight of the lumen in most of the cartilaginous portion of the ET were sign
ificantly smaller in children than in adults. In particular, there was a ma
rked, age-associated difference in the shape of the lumen in the cartilagin
ous portion of the ET. In adults, the cross-sectional area of the lumen dec
lined monotonically between a large opening at the pharyngeal orifice and t
he narrowest portion of the ET (near the border of the cartilaginous and ju
nctional regions). In children, by contrast, the ET lumen was uniformly sma
ller over the first 80% of its length from the pharyngeal orifice. It is su
ggested that this immature morphology of the ET lumen may confer increased
risk of developing otitis media during childhood.