A curated selection of peer-reviewed publications on Eustachian tube dysfunction,office-based ENT care, headache, recurrent acute rhinosinusitis and sinus ostial disease. Each summary describes the cited publication; study designs andpatient populations differ.
Links open the PubMed record for the original article.
Selected Studies on Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Diagnosis and Phenotyping of ETD
Endoscopic assessment of Eustachian tubefunction
Poe and colleagues used video endoscopy to examine how the Eustachian tube opens in healthy and dysfunctional ears. The work describes functional patterns that can inform clinical assessment alongside other tests. PubMed
How well does the ETDQ-7 identify obstructive ETD?
This systematic review compared questionnaire scores with objective tests. It found limited support for using the ETDQ-7 alone to establish anobstructive ETD diagnosis. PubMed
Balloon Eustachian Tuboplasty
BDET versus medical management in amulticenter randomized trial
Poe, Dean, Hoffmann and colleagues found more frequent tympanogram normalization at six weeks with BDET plus medical management than with medical management alone in the studied population. PubMed
BDET versus continued medical treatmentwith one-year follow-up randomized trial
In Meyer and colleagues’ randomized trial, BDET produced greater symptom improvement during the controlled phase than continued medicaltreatment. The treatment group was subsequently followed for one year. PubMed
Pressure chamber measurements before and after BDET prospective trial
A study in adults with ventilation tubes assessed pressure equalization using pressure chamber and other Eustachian tube function tests.The proportion of middle-ear pressure gradients equilibrated by swallowing improved after BDET. PubMed
Patulous Eustachian Tube
Diagnosis and endoscopic reconstruction of the patulous tube
Poe and colleagues described endoscopic findings and reconstructionin a small series of patients with patulous Eustachian tube. This work is relevant to distinguishing patulous from obstructive dysfunction before treatment. PubMed
Twelve-month outcomes of procedures forpatulous ET
Ward, Poe and colleagues compared several surgical approaches in a retrospective cohort. Symptom relief and the risk of middle-ear effusion varied between procedures. PubMed
Selected Studies on Office-Based ENT Procedures
Office-Based Rhinology Procedures
Office-based sinus balloon dilation in 203 patients
This prospective multicenter study evaluated sinus balloon dilation under local anesthesia. Patient-reported quality of life and radiographic measures improved at 24 weeks in the selected cohort. PubMed
Standalone in-office dilation for chronicor recurrent acute rhinosinusitis
A prospective multi-institutional study evaluated maxillary ostialand ethmoid infundibular dilation with one-year follow-up. It reported procedural feasibility, tolerability and clinical outcomes in selected patients. PubMed
Office-Based Otology Procedures
In-office BDET under local anesthesia
Dean and colleagues reported that 31 of 33 patients completed their planned in-office procedure. The paper describes an anesthesia protocol and practical considerations during balloon inflation. PubMed
BDET under local versus general anesthesia
This comparative study examined outcomes after BDET under the two anesthesia approaches. It provides clinical context for choosing an office-based pathway in suitable patients. PubMed
Patient Experience, Safety and Workflow
One thousand and one in-office BDET procedures Møller’s retrospective series included 1,001 dilations in 511 patients. It describes the evolution of the local anesthesia protocol, outcomes, complications and procedural pitfalls. PubMed
In-office BDET for baro-challenge symptoms
Møller and colleagues studied 246 dilations in 132 participants. Patient-reported symptoms during non-physiological pressure changes improved after treatment. PubMed
Selected Studies on SPG Block and Headache
SPG Block Techniques
A transnasal injection approach to SPG block
This publication describes a needle-based transnasal injection technique. Its main contribution is procedural rather than evidence for any one headache indication. PubMed
Needle-free topical transnasal SPG block
A pilot study introduced a transnasal applicator for topical drugdelivery near the SPG. It offers a useful technical comparison with injection-based approaches. PubMed
Migraine and Cranial Autonomic Symptoms
When self-described sinus headache is migraine
In the Sinus, Allergy and Migraine Study, many participants who described their headaches as sinus-related met criteria for migraine or probable migraine. The findings support careful headache assessment when facial pressure and nasal symptoms coexist. PubMed
Cranial autonomic symptoms in a Danish migraine cohort
This population-based study assessed features such as lacrimation,rhinorrhea and nasal congestion in people with migraine. These symptoms alone do not establish a sinus origin for headache. PubMed
Clinical Outcomes and Patient Selection
Repeated SPG block in chronic migraine: a positive controlled trial
In a double-blind study, transnasal bupivacaine produced greater short-term headache relief than saline at the measured time points through 24hours. The result applies to the specific topical technique and study population. PubMed
SPG block for acute headache: a trial with a negative primary result
In a separate randomized emergency-department study, bupivacaine did not significantly increase the proportion of patients meeting the prespecified pain-relief endpoint compared with saline. The studies should be presented together to reflect mixed evidence. PubMed
Selected Studies on RARS and Balloon Sinus Dilation
Diagnosis and Patient Selection in RARS
How RARS has been defined across studies
A systematic review found substantial variation in diagnostic criteria and a limited evidence base for those criteria. This complicates comparisons between treatment studies. PubMed
CT findings during suspected recurrente pisodes
Patients with normal scans between self-reported episodes rarely showed abnormal CT findings during subsequent symptomatic episodes in this study. The findings emphasize the importance of diagnostic confirmation. PubMed
Appropriateness criteria for RARS surgery
An expert-derived study considered episode frequency, objective confirmation of at least one episode, prior treatment and shared decision-making. These criteria address surgical selection generally, rather than a specific device. PubMed
Balloon Sinus Dilation
CLEAR: multicenter outcomes at 24 weeks
The prospective CLEAR cohort followed 115 patients after endoscopicnatural ostium balloon dilation. PubMed
CLEAR: one-year follow-up
The follow-up publication assessed endoscopic patency, CT findings and symptom scores one year after dilation. It describes durability in the followed cohort without a randomized FESS control arm. PubMed
Natural Ostium Balloon Dilation vs medical management for RARS
In Sikand and colleagues’ randomized, placebo controlled, sham controlled study, patient-reported quality of life improved more at 24 weeks with in-office balloon dilation plus medical management than with medical management alone. PubMed
Comparative Outcomes: Balloon vs FESS / Medical Management
REMODEL: standalone natural ostium balloondilation versus FESS
This multicenter randomized trial studied selected patients with uncomplicated maxillary chronic rhinosinusitis. Balloon dilation met the study’s noninferiority criterion for symptom improvement and required fewer postoperative debridements. PubMed
A Finnish study with different comparative findings
A retrospective comparison in maxillary chronic rhinosinusitis reported greater reductions in exacerbations and symptoms after endoscopicsinus surgery than after balloon sinuplasty. Case selection and study designmatter when comparing these results with REMODEL. PubMed
One-year costs of balloon sinuplasty versus maxillary antrostomy
A Finnish register-based analysis found higher immediate hospital costs for balloon sinuplasty but lower total one-year costs in the studie dchronic rhinosinusitis population, partly in association with fewer days ofsick leave. PubMed
Selected Studies on Pneumosinus Dilatans and Small Ostia-Associated Diseases
Pneumosinus Dilatans and PANE
Bone remodeling in pneumosinus dilatans
Imaging and pathology in this study described pronounced bone remodeling around an expanded air-filled sinus with normal mucosa. PubMed
A classification and management review of pneumosinus dilatans
This literature review proposed a classification scheme andmanagement algorithm for the condition. PubMed
Small Sinus Ostia and Symptom Burden
Coming soon.
Ostial Dilation, Remodeling and Clinical Outcomes
Coming soon.