Table 2b.
Inclusion and exclusion criteria and preoperative examinations of studies with a follow-up period of 6–11 months
| Publication | Inclusion criteria | Exclusion criteria | Preoperative examination |
|---|---|---|---|
| Poe et al., 2011 [13] | Uni- or bilateral OME of min 5 years (only improved with tympanostomy tubes or perforations) | NR | Otomicroscopy, video endoscopy of the ET with slow-motion review, mucosal inflammation score, tympanometry, and CT |
| McCoul et al., 2012 [14] | Age>18 years, abnormal tympanogram and abnormal otoscopy, ETD symtoms; no response to 2-month therapy with per oral antihistamine, nasal corticosteroid, and Valsalva | H&N surgery<3 months ago, radiotherapy to H&N, sino-nasal carcinoma, acute upper respiratory infection (also acute otitis media), hypertrophy of the adenoid tonsil, nasal polyposis, cleft palate (also previously operated), craniofacial syndromes (also Down syndrome), cystic fibrosis, dysmotile cilia, and systemic immunodeficiency | ETDQ-7, SNOT22, clinical examination, tympanometry, audiometry, and CT of the sinuses |
| Bast et al., 2013 [15] | Chronic ETD treated with BET | Contraindications for BET: age <18 years, unidentifiable ET orifice, carotid dehiscence, severe septal deviation, hyperplastic turbinates, contraindications for general anesthesia | Clinical examination, tympanometry, audiometry, and thin-layer CT |
| Liang et al., 2016 [12] | Unilateral severe COME of minimum 6 months (type B tympanogram and otoscopic findings), refractory to treatments such as medications, Valsalva, tympanocenthesis, and/or tympanostomies | Physiological defect of the ear or nasopharynx, carotid dehiscence, malformation, tumor or aneurysm in the ET or carotis interna, inability to participate follow-up | Otic endoscopic findings and tympanometry |
| Bowles et al., 2017 [16] | Clinical history of ETD and ETDQ-7 score >14.5 despite min 3-mo therapy with nasal corticosteroids, autoinflation devices, and Valsalva | NR | ETDQ-7, otoscopy, nasofiberoscopy, subjective Valsalva, tympanometry, and audiometry |
BET, balloon Eustachian tuboplasty; COME, chronic otitis media with effusion; CT, computed tomography; ET, Eustachian tube; ETD, Eustachian tube dysfunction; ETDQ-7, Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire; H&N, head and neck; NR, not reported; OME, otitis media with effusion; SNOT-22, Sino-Nasal Outcome Test.