Effects of sodium hyaluronate on tympanic membrane perforations.

The effects of topically applied 1% sodium hyaluronate as an alternative treatment to surgery for tympanic membrane perforations was studied. In an open study, the inclusion criteria were increased by accepting patients previously treated by surgery or with placebo and, compared with a previous study, the frequency at which sodium hyaluronate was applied was reduced. Reduction in the size of the perforation was detected in 12/16 (75.0%) patients, six (37.5%) of whom showed complete tympanic healing, and in the remaining four (25.0%) there was no healing. The average percentage reduction in the perforation area was 80.5%. The two factors altered in this trial, i.e. inclusion criteria and frequency of administration of treatment, had little influence on the degree of membrane healing.