Tehran University Medical Journal

Background: The role prophylactic antibiotics in otologic surgery continues to be debated and perhaps misused. Prior studies have provided conflicting evidence with benefits obtained from the use of prophylactic antibiotics in surgery for chronic otitis media.

Materials and Methods: The current study was designed to evaluate the role of prophylactic antibiotics in the wound infection and outcome of surgery for chronic ear disease. It was the authors' impression that there was no difference between topical and systemic antibiotics in such surgery. Patients who met the inclusion criteria (n=193) were randomly assigned to a topical treatment group or a control group receiving only intravenous antibiotics for 1 dose intra operatively and 3 dose there after. Patients were followed post-operatively and observed for clinical evidence of infection, graft failur and hearing status.

Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the two groups with regard to the incidence of postoperative infection or graft survival.

Conclusion: The use of prophylactic antibiotics in surgery for chronic otitis media can be recommended as an alternative method.

Background: Tympanic membrane perforation as a sign of different otologic disorders have multiple causes, for example trauma .Traumatic perforations heal spontaneously in most cases but in large and stable perforation otolarngologist intervention is necessary . In the stable perforation of tympanic membrane , if there isn’t infection in the tympanic cavity , the paper patch or myringoplasty may be used. These procedures need remedy charge and time and may be with morbidity and other complications. Recently materials like hyaluronic acid and epidermal growth factors has been used to speed healing of tympanic membrane perforation, and their effect has been proved. Pentoxifylline an anti-thrombotic drug has positive effect on increasing perfusion and wound healing in pathological conditions. Alike we have used pentoxifylline to show it’s effect on the healing of guinea pig perforated tympanic membrane.

Materials and Methods: This study has been done prospectively, on 32 guinea pig ears.

  Results & Conclusion: Final otomicroscopic study after three weeks showing no significant difference in the healing rate of tympanic membrane in pentoxifylline group versus control group.

Background: The damaging effect of exposure to loud noise on the structures of internal ear has been studied from many years ago. The effect of drill-generated noise on the non-operated ear is one of the problems that are less discussed. This study aims to evaluate the hearing loss that occurs in the non-operated ear in patients who undergo mastoidectomy by use of PTA (pure tone audiometery) and DPOAE (distortion product otoacoustic emission).

Materials and Methods: In this descriptive- analytic study, 49 patients who underwent mastoidectomy in Amir-Alam and Iman Khomeini hospitals, were evaluated for noise trauma generated by drilling on the non-operated ear. Patients were between 9-55 years old (mean age= 29) and they consisted of 25 males and 24 females. The patient's preoperative state were measured by PTA and DPOAE on the opposite ear also the postoperative state were re-evaluated by PTA and DPOAE.

Results: As a result, in 4 cases a significant change in PTA thresholds were observed, while two of them showed recovery after one month. Seven cases showed significant change in DPOAE amplitudes, of whom five cases recovered later.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the drill-induced hearing loss on the non-operated ear occurs in a few patients and it is often reversible.