Abstract
Recently, various alternative outpatient treatments to the conventional myringoplasty without autografts have been reported for closing tympanic membrane perforations. In our outpatient clinic, we have performed autologous serum eardrops therapy (ASET) in 55 ears (20 males, 35 females) in 53 patients aged 6-86 years (mean, 49.0 years) with perforation. The perforation margin was cauterized with silver nitrate, and the perforation was covered with a chitin membrane. Patients were instructed to apply autologous serum eardrops daily at home. In the patients with perforations not closed by this procedure, we inserted collagen sponges, and then patients applied autologous serum eardrops again.
The overall closure rate before insertion of collagen sponges was 61.8%. Regarding possible factors related to the closure rate, we evaluated patients' ages, perforation size, duration from onset to treatment, allergic rhinitis, infections and other complications. But none of these were significantly correlated to the closure rate. In the cases required collagen sponges, the closure rate after insertion was 72.7%, and the final overall closure rate was 76.4%.
ASET was very easy and safe and will be a feasible method for closing tympanic membrane perforations in a variety of clinical settings.
