[Stimulation of the growth of cicatricial tympanic membranes]

The growth of cicatricial tympanic membranes starts with the formation of a granulation stricture which gradually transforms into a membrane. For the cases when granulation does not lead to the formation of a membrane or when the membrane growth is too slow, the present author developed a method of immuring a foreign body - a silk thread - into the granulation layer for as long as 6 to 8 days. The foreign body stimulated granulation in the area of its localization. The method was used for the treatment of 16 patients: in 4 of them granulation did not tend to the membrane formation and in 12 patients the growth of the granulation stricture, once it reached a certain size, became very slow or terminated. Due to stimulation according to the above method, a cicatricial tympanic membrane of a normal size grew in 11 patients. In 3 other patients the well grown membrane was removed because of suppuration in the tympanic cavity. In 2 remaining patients no signs of membrane growth were seen in spite of stimulation.