Objective: To identify the prevalence and risk factors of eustachian tube dysfunction after surgery for sinonasal cancer by observing the occurrence of middle ear effusion.
Study design: Historical cohort study.
Setting: Academic university hospital.
Subjects and methods: Clinical records of 112 patients surgically treated for sinonasal cancer over a 16-year period were evaluated. Initial bivariate analysis was followed by a multivariate logistic regression model.
Results: The best model included 2 variables: posterior extension of surgical resection (nasopharynx, soft palate, eustachian tube, pterygomaxillary fossa, parapharyngeal space) with an odds ratio of 5.662 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.877-9.447) and postoperative radiotherapy with an odds ratio of 8.691 (95% CI, 4.187-13.194).
Conclusion: Despite the limited number of patients, the study gives a prediction of middle ear effusion based on 2 well-defined factors: surgical resection of anatomic structures involved in tubal function and adjuvant radiotherapy.