Assessing the Efficiency of Intranasal Steroid Treatment in Cases with Eustachian Dysfunction Via the Turkish Version of Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire-7

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of the treatment in the cases, who were diagnosed with Eustachian tube dysfunction (ETD) via history, physical examination, and tympanometry and for whom intranasal steroid treatment was planned to be used before surgical treatment options, by using Eustachian Tube Dysfunction Questionnaire (ETDQ)-7. Materials and Methods: Fifty-five cases, who applied to the otorhinolaryngology outpatient clinic due to the complaints suggesting Eustachian dysfunction such as aural fullness and pressure sensation and for whom the diagnosis of Eustachian dysfunction was considered due to the results of the examination, history, and physical examination, were included in the study. The 3rd and 6th weeks of intranasal steroid treatment ETDQ-7 scores were recorded. Results: ETDQ-7 mean scores of the cases were 2.72 +/- 0.97 at the time of initial diagnosis (minimum-maximum: 1-4.71), 2.31 +/- 0.85 in the 3rd week of the treatment (minimum-maximum: 1-5), and 2.12 +/- 0.78 (minimum-maximum: 1-4, 14) in the 6th week. A statistically significant difference was observed when statistically assessing the ETDQ-7 scores determined at the time of diagnosis and in the 3rd and 6th weeks of the treatment (P < 0.001). When ETDQ-7 scores were assessed based on gender in assessment time, there was a statistically significant difference in the assessment conducted in the 3rd week (P < 0.05; P = 0.039). Conclusion: It is believed that the current study is the first study that evaluates the efficiency of intranasal corticosteroid treatment, which is frequently used by the doctors in daily practice in pharmacotherapy in the cases with ETD from young adult and adult age groups, on the symptoms via ETDQ-7. In addition, the results of the present study indicated that intranasal steroid treatment in early periods caused a significant recovery in the symptoms, however this recovery also reached a plateau after the treatment.