Hyperectasis of the Tympanic Membrane

A 44-year-old woman with frequent bilateral ear fullness was given a diagnosis of atelectatic tympanic membranes several years ago. She was told to perform the Valsalva maneuver, which raises air pressure in the nasal cavity and aerates the middle ear through the eustachian tube. A 44-year-old woman presented with bilateral ear fullness. She had been given a diagnosis of atelectatic tympanic membranes several years earlier and had been advised to perform the Valsalva maneuver, which raises the air pressure in the nasal cavity and aerates the middle-ear cavity through the eustachian tube, leading to temporary disappearance of the sensation of ear fullness. She continued to perform the Valsalva maneuver four times a day for 6 years. On examination, the tympanic membranes were ballooned outward with no signs of effusion or inflammation in the tympanic cavity (Panels A and B; 5 hours after the last ...