[Clinical and experimental study on treatment of chronic pyogenic tympanitis with shenlian ear-drops]

To study the effect and mechanism of Shenlian Ear-Drops (SLED), a composite preparation of Chinese herbal medicine, in treating chronic pyogenic tympanitis (CPT).

The 201 patients of CPT enrolled were divided randomly into two groups. The treated group were treated with SLED, three times per day, and the control group treated with ofloxacin ear-drop, three times per day. The changes in symptoms, signs and bacterial culture after treatment were observed. Experimental studies on anti-inflammatory, detumescent effect and skin mucosa irritation test, and bacteriostasic activity of SLED were also conducted.

The curative effect in the treated group was higher than that in the control group with shorter time of medication. The improvement of symptoms and signs in the former was also better than that in the latter (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01). Experimental study showed SLED had obvious anti-inflammatory and detumescent effect, apparent bacteriostasic activity against often encountered pathogens of CPT, and with no side-effect such as irritation on skin, mucosa of external acoustic meatus or tympanic cavity, and was non-ototoxic.

SLED has good curative effect in treating CPT.