Sinusitis and Eustachian tube dysfunction in children

Because of its anatomic and functional connections, middle ear disorders frequently occur in sinusitis. Its prevalence, however, is likely to be underestimated. We evaluated the prevalence of Eustachian tube dysfunction in children with chronic sinusitis, in a large group of patients with chronic respiratory symptoms and its possible relationship with respiratory allergy. From a population of 1810 children with respiratory symptoms referred to our Pediatric Allergy Center, subjects with chronic sinusitis diagnosed by clinical criteria were selected. The children underwent testing of Eustachian tube function by tympanometry and of allergy by skin tests with common environmental allergens. Patients were divided into three groups according to age: group 1,