Type a botulinum toxin in the management of spontaneous salivary otorrhea: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Spontaneous salivary otorrhea is a rare presentation only previously documented twice in literature where parotid salivary secretions are found in the external auditory canal. Conventional treatment of spontaneous parotid salivary fistulas includes surgical management with interposed grafts, fistula tract ablation, and possible superficial parotidectomy. Associated risks include facial nerve injury, Frey syndrome and facial scarring. Here we report the first case of spontaneous salivary otorrhea conservatively managed with a type A botulinum toxin (BTA) injection. CASE PRESENTATION: A 17-year-old female presented with a 5-month history of left sided otorrhea and transient left facial swelling associated with gustatory stimulation. The otorrhea fluid tested positive for salivary amylase and negative for beta 2 transferrin. Fifty units of BTA were injected into the left parotid gland under ultrasound guidance. Cessation of symptoms was achieved 3 weeks after intervention. The patient remains symptom-free at the 2 year follow up. CONCLUSION: BTA injection was well tolerated under ultrasound guidance and has led to long-term resolution of the patient's symptoms. BTA injection appears to be a safe and effective way to conservatively manage this rare presentation of spontaneous salivary otorrhea.

WITHDRAWN: Interventions for ear discharge associated with grommets (ventilation tubes).

BACKGROUND: The insertion of grommets (also known as ventilation or tympanostomy tubes) is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on children. Postoperative otorrhoea (discharge) is the most common complication with a reported incidence ranging from 10% to 50%. In the UK, many ENT surgeons treat with topical antibiotics/steroid combinations, but general practitioners, mainly through fears of ototoxicity, are unlikely to prescribe these and choose systemic broad-spectrum antibiotics. OBJECTIVES: 1. To identify the most effective non-surgical management of discharge from ears with grommets in place.2. To identify the risks of non-surgical management for this condition (e.g. ototoxicity), and to set benefits of treatment against these risks. SEARCH METHODS: We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to 2005) and EMBASE (1974 to 2005). We also searched the CINAHL, AMED, LILACS, ISI WEB OF KNOWLEDGE, ISI PROCEEDINGS, mRCT, NNR, ZETOC, KOREAMED, CSA, MEDCARIB, INDMED and SAMED databases. The date of the last search was February 2005. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of adults or children, with any type of grommet and an ear with discharge were included. The trials compared treatment with placebo or one treatment with another. The primary outcome measure was the duration of the discharge. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The trials were selected independently according to the above criteria by the four reviewers. Differences in opinion over the inclusion of studies were resolved by discussion. The studies were graded using the CASP critical appraisal tool. Analyses were based on the presence of discharge seven days from the onset of treatment. MAIN RESULTS: There was very little good quality evidence. Four studies were included, all of them investigating different interventions and therefore a meta-analysis was not possible.Only one study demonstrated a significant difference. Oral amoxicillin clavulanate was compared to placebo in 79 patients. The odds of having a discharge persisting eight days after starting treatment was 0.19 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.49) . The number needed to treat to achieve that benefit is 2.5. Participants in both arms of this study also received daily aural toilet. The results will therefore not be applicable to most settings including primary care. No significant benefit was shown in the two studies investigating steroids (oral prednisolone with oral amoxicillin clavulanate and topical dexamethasone with topical ciprofloxacin ear drops), or the one study comparing an antibiotic-steroid combination (Otosporin®) drops versus spray (Otomize®) (although more patients preferred the spray form). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The authors of this review have been unable to identify the most effective intervention or to assess the associated risks. Research is urgently needed into the effectiveness of oral versus topical antibiotics in this group of patients. Clinicians considering antibiotic treatment need to balance any potential benefit against the risks of side effects and antibiotic resistance.

Healing large traumatic eardrum perforations in humans using fibroblast growth factor applied directly or via gelfoam.

OBJECTIVE: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of conservative treatment and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) applied directly or via Gelfoam on the healing of large traumatic tympanic membrane perforations (TMPs) in humans. STUDY DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, controlled trial. METHODS: A randomized prospective analysis was performed between February 2009 and January 2011 for the treatment of traumatic TMPs in humans that affected greater than 50% of the TM. The closure rate, closure time, hearing gain, and rate of otorrhea were compared among the direct application of FGF, FGF via Gelfoam, and conservative treatment. RESULTS: A total of 94 patients were analyzed. The closure rates of large perforations in the direct FGF application, FGF via Gelfoam, and observation groups were 100%, 97%, and 55%, respectively. FGF-treated groups had significantly improved closure rates compared with the observation group (p < 0.05). However, the closure rate did not differ significantly between patients who received FGF only and those who received FGF via Gelfoam (p > 0.05). FGF-treated groups showed shorter mean closure times compared with the observation group (p < 0.05). However, the closure time did not differ significantly between FGF-treated groups (p > 0.05).All perforations were closed within 2 weeks, regardless of the presence of curled edges in the FGF-treated groups.

Topical ciprofloxacin is superior to topical saline and systemic antibiotics in the treatment of tympanostomy tube otorrhea in children: the results of a randomized clinical trial.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To compare the clinical failure rates among children with otorrhea through tympanostomy tubes treated with topical or systemic antibiotics versus topical saline. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, double-blind, controlled patient study. METHODS: A three-armed randomized clinical trial using topical ciprofloxacin or oral amoxicillin or topical saline. The primary outcome was treatment failure defined as presence of otorrhea in at least one ear after 7 days of treatment. RESULTS: The treatment failure rates were 23% and 70% in the group treated with topical ciprofloxacin and oral amoxicillin, respectively. Treatment failures were seen in 58% of children treated with topical saline. Thus, topical ciprofloxacin significantly reduced treatment failures compared to both oral amoxicillin and topical saline. The most frequent bacteria isolated from treatment failures in general were streptococci and Moraxella catarrhalis. CONCLUSIONS: The significant effect of topical ciprofloxacin is probably related to a higher local concentration of antibiotics in the middle ear rather than the result of mechanical rinsing and dissolution of the bacterial load.

Clinical effectiveness of ototopical application of mupirocin ointment in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus otorrhea.

OBJECTIVE: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) otorrhea has become an increasing problem with regard to infection through the tympanic membrane perforation and postsurgical infection. In particular, dry ear, at the preoperative stage, is considered to be a crucial factor in surgery. We evaluated how to control MRSA otorrhea before and after ear surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-six patients having MRSA otorrhea were enrolled in the present study and randomly divided into 2 groups, namely, mupirocin ointment therapy for 16 patients and ofloxacin ear drops for 10 patients. Approximately 0.6 mg of mupirocin ointment was administered locally to the tympanic membrane and the promontory around and through the perforation with its adjacent external ear canal 1 to 4 times for 2 or 3 weeks at the clinic. On the other hand, ofloxacin ear drops were administered daily by the patients for 2 or 3 weeks at home. RESULTS: Complete elimination of MRSA from the ear was obtained in all patients of the mupirocin group. This showed a significant improvement (p < 0.001) as compared with the ofloxacin group (improvement + cure rate, 40%). Local application of mupirocin did not aggravate hearing acuity of any patients who were evaluated by pure-tone audiometry before and after treatment. CONCLUSION: The present findings first indicate that minimally essential application of mupirocin ointment is an extremely useful ototopical agent against MRSA otorrhea without ototoxicity.

Cochlear implant and inner ear malformation. Proposal for an hyperosmolar therapy at surgery.

The objective of this retrospective study is to evaluate the efficiency of hyperosmolar therapy for cerebrum spinal fluid (CSF) leakage in cochlear implant (CI) surgery in children with inner ear malformations. Between 1991 and 2006, 490 cochlear implantations were performed in Armand Trousseau Children's Hospital. Thirty-seven patients (7.5%) had inner ear malformation. They were classified as isolated enlargement of the vestibular aqueduct (EVA) (18 cases), incomplete partition (IP) (11 cases), common cavity (CC) (1 case) and variable canal and vestibular malformations (VSCC) (7 cases). A hyperosmolar protocol was applied during surgery to 13 patients after 2003 (Gp) to be compared to the 24 patients without treatment previously to this date (G0). Mean age at implant CI was 8.1 years (1-20 years), mean follow up was 3.9 years (1 month-15 years). Per operative observations were collected for all patients with an empiric method of evaluation of the leakage. A grading using five steps ranged from Grade 0 (no leak) to Grade 4 (gusher). Grading, complications and perceptive results in closed and open set word (Lafon lists) at respectively preoperatively, at 3 and 24 months were gathered and compared between the two groups. Important per operative leak was observed (Grade 4) in 24.3% cases (9/37) of Grade 4, 88.8% of them in G0 (8/9). In 66.6% cases there was a severe dysplasia (CC or IP) (6/9), to be compared to the 21.4% of cases of severe dysplasia with Grade<3 (6/28) (p=0.02). Grade 4 was seen in 45% cases of IP (5/11); it represented 33.3% of the IP in Gp (1/3), and 50% of the IP in G0 (4/8) (p>0.05). Grade 4 was seen in 16.6% cases of EVA (3/18); there were no Grade 4 observed in Gp (0/10), and 37.5% cases of EVA in G0 (3/8) (p=0.04). Grade 4 was observed in 100% case in CC in the G0 (1/1). Severe complications were misplacement of the electrode in one case (G0), persistent leakage in one case (G0) and meningitis in one case (Gp). Vertigo was observed in 29.7% of cases (11/37) in this population, 72.7% of them in G0 (8/11). Vertigo was associated to severe dysplasia in 75% cases in G0 (6/8), and to EVA in all cases in Gp. In G0, mean perceptive scores showed for G0, preoperatively and at 3 months, respectively, 1.3% and 50.6% in closed set word (CSW), and 65.9% in open set words at 2 years. In Gp mean perceptive scores showed preoperatively and at 3 months, respectively 6.1% and 69.8% in CSW, and 81% in open set words at 2 years. The differences between the two groups are not significant (p>0.05). Osmotherapy is known to be effective for cerebral oedema and regularly used in neurological surgery. In inner ear malformation, gusher at surgery is directly related to the intra-cerebral pressure (ICP). Corresponding to neurosurgical practice, the mainstay of our protocol rests on hyperosmolar treatment, to reduce the ICP the time of the surgery. Our results suggest that this treatment is effective for a better control of leakage at cochleostomy on EVA, and could be effective on more severe malformations. No severe complication related to surgery was seen in Gp. Its good tolerance could allow its use in most patients with inner ear malformation. Vertigo was a frequent complication. The possibility of vertigo depends on the initial vestibular status and on the course of the surgery. The protocol could protect the vestibular function, lowering the pressure and quantity of the liquid issue. The treatment does not seem to influence the perceptive results.

Pseudotumour of the temporal bone: an unusual [corrected] cause of otorrhoea and facial palsy.

An inflammatory pseudotumour of the temporal bone is a rare, idiopathic, fibro-inflammatory lesion which mimics malignancy. Although such a lesion is known to occur elsewhere in the body such as the liver, abdominal viscera, pelvis, thorax and the upper respiratory tract, the involvement of the temporal bone is extremely unusual. We present such a case in a 60-year-old man, which provided a great diagnostic challenge. We review the key radiological and histological results that confirmed the diagnosis and demonstrated for the first time that oral steroids alone may completely resolve the condition.

Ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone drops decrease the incidence of physician and patient outcomes of otorrhea after tube placement.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate ciprofloxacin 0.3%/dexamethasone 0.1% (CIPRODEX, Alcon, Ft. Worth, TX) for the prevention of early post-operative otorrhea following TT placement. METHODS: This was a single-center, randomized, evaluator-blinded, parallel-group study. Two hundred children undergoing bilateral TT placement were categorized as having unilateral ("wet/dry"), bilateral ("wet/wet"), or no ("dry/dry") effusion at the time of surgery. All patients received Ciprodex or no treatment for 5 days post-operatively and returned at 2 weeks. RESULTS: Physician-observed otorrhea was reported in 5 (4.95%) patients receiving Ciprodex and 39 (39.39%) patients receiving no treatment (p<0.0001). Treatment decreased otorrhea in all groups, while the greatest benefit was observed in patients with bilateral effusion (93% reduction). Ciprodex treatment also decreased the rate of clinically diagnosed otitis media (OM) and effusion following TT placement (p< or =0.0006). CONCLUSION: Ciprodex reduced early post-operative otorrhea, clinically diagnosed OM and effusion following TT insertion. The greatest reduction in otorrhea was observed in patients with bilateral effusion at the time of surgery.

[Posterior cranial fossa abscess secondary to cholesteatoma]. / Cholestéatome compliqué d'abcès de la fosse postérieure.

OBJECTIVE: The intra cranial complications of chronic ear disease continue to pose a challenge in Senegal, despite advances in anti microbial therapy. Posterior cranial fossa abscesses are rare and continue to be associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. We describe the presentation and management of a large cerebellar abscess secondary to cholesteatoma. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 11-year-old female presented with an inflammed fluctuant swelling of the right temporal region with ipsilateral otorrhoea. Examination demonstrated an auto atticotomy, large marginal perforation of the tympanic membrane associated with polyp. A diagnosis of otomastoiditis secondary to cholesteatoma was made. The abscess of the right temporal region was incised and drained and the patient was commenced on broad spectrum antibiotics. However the patients clinical status did not improve and there was a deterioration in her neurological status. CT brain and temporal bones demonstrated a large abscess in the cerebellum. 30 CC of pus were drained through a posterior fossa burr hole by the neurosurgeons. A radical mastoidectomy for extensive cholesteatoma of the right ear was subsequently carried out when the patients condition improved. CONCLUSION: Cerebellar abscess is a life threathning condition. In the presence of complicated chronic ear disease, clinical suspicion must be high as early symptoms and signs may be misleading. A low threshold for the performance of brain imagining will aid early diagnosis and allow prompt definitive treatment.

Interventions for ear discharge associated with grommets (ventilation tubes).

BACKGROUND: The insertion of grommets (also known as ventilation or tympanostomy tubes) is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on children. Postoperative otorrhoea (discharge) is the most common complication with a reported incidence ranging from 10% to 50%. In the UK, many ENT surgeons treat with topical antibiotics/steroid combinations, but general practitioners, mainly through fears of ototoxicity, are unlikely to prescribe these and choose systemic broad-spectrum antibiotics. OBJECTIVES: 1. To identify the most effective non-surgical management of discharge from ears with grommets in place.2. To identify the risks of non-surgical management for this condition (e.g. ototoxicity), and to set benefits of treatment against these risks. SEARCH STRATEGY: We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Specialised Register, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (The Cochrane Library, Issue 1, 2005), MEDLINE (1966 to 2005) and EMBASE (1974 to 2005). We also searched the CINAHL, AMED, LILACS, ISI WEB OF KNOWLEDGE, ISI PROCEEDINGS, mRCT, NNR, ZETOC, KOREAMED, CSA, MEDCARIB, INDMED and SAMED databases. The date of the last search was February 2005. SELECTION CRITERIA: Randomised controlled trials of adults or children, with any type of grommet and an ear with discharge were included. The trials compared treatment with placebo or one treatment with another. The primary outcome measure was the duration of the discharge. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: The trials were selected independently according to the above criteria by the four reviewers. Differences in opinion over the inclusion of studies were resolved by discussion. The studies were graded using the CASP critical appraisal tool. Analyses were based on the presence of discharge seven days from the onset of treatment. MAIN RESULTS: There was very little good quality evidence. Four studies were included, all of them investigating different interventions and therefore a meta-analysis was not possible. Only one study demonstrated a significant difference. Oral amoxicillin clavulanate was compared to placebo in 79 patients. The odds of having a discharge persisting eight days after starting treatment was 0.19 (95% CI 0.07 to 0.49) . The number needed to treat to achieve that benefit is 2.5. Participants in both arms of this study also received daily aural toilet. The results will therefore not be applicable to most settings including primary care. No significant benefit was shown in the two studies investigating steroids (oral prednisolone with oral amoxicillin clavulanate and topical dexamethasone with topical ciprofloxacin ear drops), or the one study comparing an antibiotic-steroid combination (Otosporin(R)) drops versus spray (Otomize(R)) (although more patients preferred the spray form). AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: The authors of this review have been unable to identify the most effective intervention or to assess the associated risks. Research is urgently needed into the effectiveness of oral versus topical antibiotics in this group of patients. Clinicians considering antibiotic treatment need to balance any potential benefit against the risks of side effects and antibiotic resistance.

[Cerebro spinal fluid (CSF) leaks in ear: revision of 5 cases]. / Fístulas de líquido cefalorraquídeo en oído: a propósito de 5 casos.

CSF leaks in the ear are the result of an abnormal communication between subarachnoid and tympano mastoid areas, most of then as a result of trauma (90%). They mean a lisk of meningitis (4-50%) directly related to the etiology. Our aim is to present the CSF leak cases seen in our hospital in the last 2 years and a revision of their management. The main factor for a sucessful surgical repair is to use a multilayer tecnhique with a sucess rate close to 100%.

Fungal causes of otitis externa and tympanostomy tube otorrhea.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the occurrence of fungal organisms in the setting of otitis externa and tympanostomy tube otorrhea, review the treatment course, timing of diagnosis, organism identified and time to resolution with fungal infections. DESIGN: Retrospective review. SETTING: Pediatric otolaryngology clinic within a tertiary care hospital. PATIENTS: One hundred and sixty-six patients (ages 16 days to 18 years) with fungal organisms on ear culture. OUTCOME MEASURES: Number of prior therapies, number of office visits, time to resolution and anti-fungal therapy. RESULTS: Ear cultures positive for fungal organisms were found in 166 patients seen between 1 January 1996 and 30 September 2003 from a total of 1242 patients undergoing ear culture. Comparing the 3-year period (1996-1998) prior to the availability of fluoroquinolone ototopical drops to the 3-year period after (1999-2001), there is a statistically significant increase in the incidence of positive fungal culture (p<0.001). Otitis media was diagnosed in 72% of these children, with otitis externa comprising 25%. Approximately 3% carried a diagnosis of both otitis externa and otitis media. Candida albicans was identified in 43% of fungal organism-positive cultures. Candida parapsilosis was found in 24% of and Aspergillus fumigatus in 13%. The remainder of the cultures yielded three other Candida and three other Aspergillus species, each at less than 5%. Time to resolution ranged from 1 week to 9 months, with a median of 3.8 weeks for symptom resolution. Patients were treated with an average of 1.7 oral antibiotics and 1.1 ototopical agent before a culture was taken. CONCLUSIONS: Otorrhea due to fungal organisms occurs in the setting of refractory infection and is often discovered after multiple oral and ototopical antibacterial medications. Due to the extended treatment period required to clear fungal organism, timely diagnosis with culture for bacteria and fungus is required in patients with persistent otorrhea. An increase in incidence of fungal infections of the ear was found in the period after widespread use of ofloxacin began.

Ventilation tubes in infants increase the risk of otorrhoea and antibiotic usage.

1) PROBLEM/OBJECTIVE: The effect of ventilation tubes on acute otitis related symptoms (otorrhoea, earache, and fever) and on antibiotic usage was investigated in children with persistent otitis media with effusion, as part of a multicenter, randomised, controlled clinical trial. 2) METHODOLOGY: One hundred-eighty-seven children were randomly placed into either a watchful waiting group (WW group) (n = 94) or a group treated with ventilation tubes (VT group) (n = 93). Both groups were followed for 12 months. Data were collected from parental reports and from medical files kept by the attending ENT-surgeons. 3) RESULTS: There were significant differences in the reported frequency of otorrhoea (but not of earache or fever) between both groups during follow-up, i.e. children in the VT group had more episodes of otorrhoea than the children in the WW group (p < 0.003). As a consequence, children in the VT group had been prescribed antibiotics more often. 4) CONCLUSIONS: Young children treated with ventilation tubes due to persistent otitis media with effusion have a higher risk of developing otorrhoea because of the tubes, and they have a higher risk of needing treatment with antibiotics.

Protective effect of corticosteroid against the cytotoxicity of aminoglycoside otic drops on isolated cochlear outer hair cells.

OBJECTIVES: Otic drops are commonly used not only for otitis externa but also for otorrhea in the presence of tympanic membrane perforation or tympanostomy tube. Many studies demonstrated the ototoxicity of aminoglycoside. In our previous study, we observed that gentamicin (GM), when activated with liver extract, demonstrated significant cytotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to assess the protective effect of corticosteroid against the cytotoxicity of GM and tobramycin drops using isolated cochlear outer hair cells (OHCs) in vitro with liver extract. METHODS: OHCs from adult chinchilla cochleae were exposed to standard bathing solution, liver extract alone, and aminoglycoside otic drops with and without corticosteroid and liver extract. All experiments were performed at an osmolality of 305 +/- 5 mOsm, at room temperature, and for up to 60 minutes. The images of OHCs were recorded using an inverted microscope and analyzed on the Image Pro-Plus 3.0 program. Time to cell death and change of cell length were measured and analyzed. RESULTS: The time to cell death and percent change in cell length observed was significantly longer in the GM + liver extract + dexamethasone group than the GM + liver extract group (P <.05). The Tobradex + liver extract group showed an insignificant increase in percent change of cell length (P >.05) and significantly increased time to cell death than the tobramycin + liver extract group (P <.05). CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that dexamethasone significantly reduced aminoglycoside cytotoxicity.

Topical ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone is superior to ciprofloxacin alone in pediatric patients with acute otitis media and otorrhea through tympanostomy tubes.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether topical administration of a corticosteroid improves resolution of acute tympanostomy tube otorrhea when combined with topical antibiotic drops. STUDY DESIGN: Randomized, patient-masked, parallel-group, multicenter trial of topical otic ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone versus topical ciprofloxacin alone in 201 children aged 6 months to 12 years with acute otitis media with tympanostomy tubes (AOMT) of less than or equal to 3 weeks' duration and visible otorrhea. METHODS: Eligible patients were randomized to receive three drops of either ciprofloxacin 0.3%/dexamethasone 0.1% or ciprofloxacin 0.3% into the affected ear or ears twice daily for 7 days. Clinical signs and symptoms of AOMT were evaluated on days 1 (baseline), 3, 8 (end-of-therapy), and 14 (test-of-cure), and twice-daily assessments of otorrhea were recorded in patient diaries. RESULTS: The mean time to cessation of otorrhea in the microbiologically culture-positive patient population (n = 167) was significantly shorter with topical ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone than with ciprofloxacin alone (4.22 vs. 5.31 days; P =.004). This resulted in significantly better clinical responses on days 3 and 8 (P <.0001 and P =.0499, respectively). However, there were no significant differences between the two treatment groups in either the clinical response or the microbial eradication rate by day 14. CONCLUSIONS: Topical otic treatment with ciprofloxacin/dexamethasone is superior to treatment with ciprofloxacin alone and results in a faster clinical resolution in children with AOMT. The contribution of the corticosteroid in achieving a 20% reduction (1.1 day) in time to cessation of otorrhea is clinically meaningful and represents an important advance over single-agent antibiotic therapy.

Changes in bacteriology of discharging ears.

A bacteriological study on 161 consecutive out-patients presenting with otorrhoea was performed prospectively at a local teaching hospital in Taiwan between August 2000 and June 2001. A total of 177 isolates were recovered. Staphylococcus aureus was found in 77 (43.5 per cent) isolates, and non-Staphylococcus aureus in 100 (56.5 per cent) isolates. Pseudomas sp was found to be the most common pathogen (28.8 per cent) in the non-Staphylococcus aureus group. Staphylococcus aureus had become more common than Pseudomonas aeruginosa in acute otitis externa, granular myringitis, and chronic otitis media in Taiwan. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) was also an increasing problem in all three disease entities. The prevalence of community-acquired MRSA infections in discharging ears was found to be 13.7 per cent (22/161). MRSAs were highly susceptible to vancomycin, teicoplanin, fusidic acid, and minocycline. More studies should be done to determine the susceptibility of MRSA to ofloxacin in the future.

[2% solution of vagothyl in the treatment of persistent otorrhea]. / 2% roztwór vagothylu w leczeniu uporczywych ropotoków usznych.

Drying of the ear in the chronic purulent otitis media prevents further lesions of the anatomic structures and allows for performing the surgery significantly decreasing the risk of any potential complications. In the search for a safe medicines that can be used for drying of the ear in persistent otorrhoea the examinations on vagothyl have been conducted. The aim of this work was to assess the outcome of treating of persistent otorrhoeas with 2% solution of vagothyl. The results were compared to those achieved when 4% vagothyl's solution was applied. The effects of the treatment with both strengths of the vagothyl's solution were similar. In case of usage of 2% solution of vagothyl there were fewer side effects. The method of treatment was modified in order to eliminate the possibility of occurring of the iatrogenic lesions.