The relationship between middle ear disease and eustachian tube function was studied in 24 children with persistent otitis media with effusion and with pressure-equalization tubes in place using the pressure system of an impedance bridge. Five measurements of function were correlated with a child's age and six indexes of disease. The highest multiple correlation squared accounted for only 27% of the variability in results, indicating that knowledge of tubal function by this technique has little useful correlation with other indicators of disease.