Nitrous oxide (N
2O) is known to cause an increase in volume and/or pressure in enclosed body cavities as a result of diffusion. In the middle ear cavity, both the middle ear pressure (MEP) and volume increase due to the semicompliant boundaries of this region which include the tympanic membrane and eustachian tube. During general inhalational anesthesia, it seemed that the functions were quickly passive ventilation and comfortable ventilation through the mucosa of the mastoid area. This study examined the relation of the mastoid area and MEP under the start and cessation of N
2O.
During general anesthesia with or without N
2O, it seemed that the increase (10.7±2.1mmH
2O•min
-1) or decrease (2.1±0.5mmH
2O•min
-1) in MEP without passive ventilation was related to very low circulation in the mastoid area (MEP during N
2O administration and the area: r=0.55 (p=0.03); MEP during N
2O wash out and the area: r=0.73 (p=0.02)).
Based on the present results, we observed a positive correlation between the changes of MEP in the mastoid area.
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