The burned ear (I): An experimental study with the rabbit model to evaluate scalding temperature, surface and...

There are few papers on experimental burns of the external ear. An experimental model was made and a study was conducted on 18 white rabbits to evaluate the response of the rabbit ear in relation to temperature, surface and histologic appearances and healing response with depth of injury. The rabbit model showed that: a) the rabbit ear resembled that of the human ear in histological structure. b) there was a definite correlation of the temperature of the scalding agent with the depth of the injury. c) it was possible to classify morphologically the depth of injury based on surface appearance. d) there was an accurate morphologic correlation with that of histopathologic assessment of burns depth. e) the sequential biopsy at different times (immediate, third, fifth day) showed that the depth of the burns was already apparent soon after the injury. f) there was also a correlation of burns depth with the rate of ear healing.