Therapeutic effect of "healing-promoting medicinal membrane" on tympanic membrane perforation and ultrastructural observation on tympanic membrane undergoing perforation healing

Objective To investigate the therapeutic effect of "healing-promoting medicinal membrane"(HPMM) on tympanic membrane perforation and associated mechanisms responsible for its healing process.Methods Ninety-eight cases(102 ears) with tympanic membrane perforation were randomly divided into 2 groups at a ratio of 1∶1,with 48 cases(52 ears) in treating group(TG) and 50 patients(50 ears) in controlling one(CG).The cases of TG were treated by HPMM,made from botanical medicines,adhered to the tympanic membrane with perforation,and those of CG were treated only by a piece of cotton adhered to the tympanic membrane with perforation in the same way as mentioned above.Then,the therapeutic effects were compared between them by the end of therapeutic course,indicated only by the healing condition of tympanic membrane perforation.Furthermore,20 guinea pigs were taken to prepare the model of tympanic membrane perforation and undergo treating process in the same way as that for clinical trial,with 2 groups being randomly divided and 2 different treating procedures given respectively.By the end of therapy,tympanic membrane samples were taken from the animals to do ultrastructural observation in a regular way to see the changes associated with the healing process of tympanic membrane perforation.Results The curative rate was 21.2% in TG,with a total effective rate of 88.5%,and it was only 8.0% in CG,with a total effective rate of 54.0%.There was a significant difference between the 2 groups in the effective rates(P0.05).All the experimental animals were seen with their tympanic membrane perforation healed within 1 to 2 months following modeling in either group.However,the healing process in TG was superior to that of CG as confirmed at the ultrastructural level.Conclusion HPMM holds significantly therapeutic effect for the treatment of tympanic membrane perforation.