Abstract
The sonometric auditory tubal function test is incapable of testing auditory tubes which do not open and close with swallowing. Therefore we attempted to evaluate stepwise the impaired function of the auditory tube by combining the advantages of the sonometric auditory tubal function that test with the active opening and passive opening function test which has heretofore been in clinical use. For the active opening function test, we used (1) sonometric auditory tubal function test and (2) Toynbee's test. For the passive opening function test, we used (3) Valsalva's test and (4) inflation of the auditory tube. These tests in the sequence mentioned may be said to stepwise tests for auditory tubal insufficiency. When these tests were conducted on normal subjects, (1) the sonometric auditory tubal function test gave was positive in 89% in normal adults, but a low positive rate of active opening was noted in children (age 4 to 12 years), even though the despite by tympanogram was the A type; (2) Toynbee's method varied the intranasal pressure by about 10mmH2O, proving changes in the intranasal pressure during the opening and closing of the auditory tube (from positive to negative pressure) to vary with the mode of swallowing; (3) Valsalva's method opened the auditory tube with an intranasal pressure of 332.6±140.8mmH2O; professional divers required a higher intranasal pressure, and (4) the auditory tube inflation method opening the auditory tube with a mean pressure of 412.4±30.6mmH2O, but in children aged 10 or less it opened the auditory tube with a pressure as low as 292.2±56.3mmH2O, indicating a tendency for children to achieve the adult value at the age of 9 to 10.
