Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Mimics

Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) is a commonly suspected cause of aural fullness, otalgia, and hearing loss, but presentation varies among patients. In addition, these symptoms are not specific and can be indicative of other conditions. Some of these conditions are otologic in nature and can be localized to the external, middle, or inner ear....

Audiologists and ENT clinicians should consider a broad differential diagnosis when patients present with aural fullness, otalgia, and hearing loss, as several conditions mimic Eustachian tube dysfunction and require different management.

Misdiagnosis of Eustachian tube dysfunction can delay appropriate treatment; this review arms clinicians with a framework to distinguish it from similar-presenting conditions.

1. 01Multiple conditions can present identically to Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD), including patulous ETD, tensor tympani syndrome, and superior semicircular canal dehiscence.
2. 02Key symptoms of ETD include aural fullness (feeling of blocked ear), ear pain (otalgia), and hearing loss.
3. 03Published as a review in Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America, a high-impact ENT reference journal.
4. 04Accurate differential diagnosis is essential to avoid unnecessary Eustachian tube balloon dilation procedures.
5. 05Clinicians should use targeted history, tympanometry, and imaging to differentiate ETD from mimicking conditions.

PMID

42161708

DOI

10.1016/j.otc.2026.04.007.

Journal

Otolaryngologic Clinics of North America

Publication type

review

Evidence level

5

Population

Patients presenting with symptoms of Eustachian tube dysfunction

Intervention

Differential diagnosis framework for ETD mimics