Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to investigate the early histopathologic effects of Burow’s and Castellani’s solutions on the middle ear mucosa of rats.

MATERIALS and METHODS: The study was conducted with 26 Wistar albino female rats. Gelfoam that was soaked in 4% Burow’s solution was inserted into the middle ears of the rats in the Burow group (n=10); over 2 weeks, 0.1 mL Burow’s solution was administered once a day through perforation into the middle ear. The same procedure was applied to the rats in the Castellani group (n=10) using classical Castellani’s solution and to the rats in the control group (n=6) using physiological saline solution. At day 1 after the last administration, all groups were decapitated; their bullas were dissected. The bullas were histopathologically evaluated and graded with respect to increase in leukocytes with polymorphic nuclei, mononuclear cell infiltration, and fibrosis. The data obtained were statistically analyzed.

RESULTS: In the Burow group, the fibrosis scores were significantly higher than those in the control group (p=0.039), the scores of leukocytes with polymorphic nuclei were significantly higher than those in the control group (p=0.034), and the total scores were significantly higher than those in the control group (p=0.022).

CONCLUSION: We suggest Castellani’s solution as a safe alternative in the treatment of otomycosis and external otitis in the presence of tympanic membrane perforation. However, because of the inflammatory changes it causes in the middle ear mucosa, we do not recommend the use of Burow’s solution in the presence of tympanic membrane perforation.