title: The histological appearance of the tympanic edge in contact with an indwelling ventilation tube (grommet).
abstract: This study describes the histological features of the tympanic membrane which has been in contact with an indwelling ventilation tube and considers the factors of tube type, time in situ, persistent aural discharge and the comparison to perforations residual to grommet extrusion. The specimens were obtained at the time of operative removal of a grommet. The 21 margins examined were characteristically hyperplastic and hyperkeratotic with a prominent granular layer. The squamous epithelium was from 8 to 25 cell layers thick and the connective tissue core was increased. Chronic inflammation was common. Features of chronic otitis media (respiratory epithelium, goblet cells and glandular tissue) were found in 7 margins (2 perforations and 5 grommet specimens). A theory of grommet extrusion is presented in this paper in the light of the histological findings.
authors: Department of Otolaryngology, Ninewells Teaching Hospital, Dundee, UK.
authors: B J
authors: BJ
authors: Bingham
authors: C M
authors: CM
authors: Milroy
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D006097:Granulation Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D015745:Granuloma, Foreign-Body / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008876:Middle Ear Ventilation; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000473:pathology; D013997:Time Factors; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology*