Section Editor: Sandy Cheng-Yu Chen, M.D.
Taipei Medical University Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
Two-thirds of the Eustachian tube are made of cartilage that protrudes into the nasopharynx, forming the torus tubarius (B, red arrow). The Eustachian tube cartilage on cross-section has an inverted J shape with a short lateral lamina and a long medial lamina (C). CT shows bilateral symmetric calcification involving the medial lamina (A and B, yellow arrows). Calcification of the cartilaginous Eustachian tube is rare and has been described with aging and chronic renal failure. It may cause rigidity and predisposition to Eustachian tube dysfunction and otitis media. Calcification can also be associated with fatty infiltration of the tensor veli palatini muscle, which may add to the dysfunction.