Zaiden TA, Rodríguez PM, Gallardo OF

Language: Spanish
References: 6
Page: 88-90
PDF size: 209.21 Kb.

ABSTRACT

Background: Eustachian tube joints middle ear with nasopharynx and has three functions: to ventilate middle ear, draining secretions to nasopharynx and protecting. Secretions flow has a one way to nasopharynx, to protect middle ear from naso- and oropharinx infections.
Objective: To determine the capacity of mucocilliary clearance function in patients with post-traumatic tympanic membrane perforation and intact membrane.
Patients and Methods: Thirty patients with edges within 20 to 60 years, 20 with post-traumatic tympanic perforation and 10 with intact membrane. Fluorescein was applied intra and transtympanic (0.2 cc) and observed the clearance with the help of a flexible nasofibroscopy. We visualized the entrance of the Eustachian tube at the torus tubarius measuring the time it took to reach the nasopharynx.
Results: We found in patients with tympanic membrane perforation the mucocilliary clearance was much more rapid with a duration of less than 3 minutes in a total of 19 patients (95%), and 1 patient (5%) it took more than 5 minutes due to thickening of the middle ear mucosa. The patients with intact tympanic membrane of which 3 (30%) had clearance of more than 3 minutes and 7 (70%) more than 5 minutes.
Conclusions: The mucocilliary function of the Eustachian tube in patients with tympanic membrane perforation is conserved, and that this is a good method of evaluating the permeability of the Eustachian tube in patients that will undergo myringoplasty in the future with a very good prognosis and successful outcome.

REFERENCES

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