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Patulous Eustachian Tube and the Differential Diagnosis of Autophony

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Textbook of Otitis Media

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Abstract

Autophony is an enhanced perception of one’s internal noises, and it can occur in various disorders. Patients with patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction most commonly present with symptoms of aural fullness, autophony of voice, and nasal breathing. Medial and lateral excursions of the tympanic membrane can be observed in the clinic by asking the patient to occlude one nostril while breathing through the ipsilateral nasal passage. Most patients with patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction can be treated medically, but some pursue surgical interventions. When evaluating patients with autophony, it is important to consider other diagnoses, such as third mobile window syndromes like superior semicircular canal dehiscence syndrome and other causes of conductive hearing loss like middle ear effusions. This chapter reviews current knowledge of patulous Eustachian tube dysfunction and discusses overlapping diagnoses to consider when evaluating these patients.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Bryan K. Ward & Carrie L. Nieman

  2. Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Dennis S. Poe

Authors
  1. Bryan K. Ward
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  2. Carrie L. Nieman
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  3. Dennis S. Poe
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Dennis S. Poe .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Otolaryngology, Clínica Universidad de Los Andes, Santiago, Chile, USA

    Marcos V. Goycoolea

  2. Otolaryngology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Sady Selaimen da Costa

  3. Department of Otolaryngology, Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India

    Chris de Souza

  4. Paparella Ear Head & Neck Institute, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA

    Michael M. Paparella

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Ward, B.K., Nieman, C.L., Poe, D.S. (2023). Patulous Eustachian Tube and the Differential Diagnosis of Autophony. In: Goycoolea, M.V., Selaimen da Costa, S., de Souza, C., Paparella, M.M. (eds) Textbook of Otitis Media. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40949-3_15

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-40949-3_15

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