title: A technique for measuring the rate of cerumen production.
abstract: A technique is described for quantitatively measuring the rate of cerumen production. Two different washing solutions were tried. A mixture of alcohol/ether (3:1 v/v) appeared to be the best extracting solution yielding 2.05 +/- 0.22 versus 0.73 +/- 0.14 mg/week per ear obtained with Triton X-100 solution. In addition, reproducibility was definitely better. Triton X-100 may be useful whenever microbiologic evaluations are requested. Total lipids accounted for 73.3% of cerumen extracted with the former solution, triglycerides being 19.5%, and cholesterol 7.2%. Our extracting technique appears to be a good estimate of the cerumen global output and may supply important information about cerumen in several biologic conditions.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002571:Cerumen / Q000032:analysis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D004986:Ether / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000032:analysis; D017830:Octoxynol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols / Q000494:pharmacology; D012636:Secretory Rate / Q000187:drug effects; D013997:Time Factors; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides; D004986:Ether; D000431:Ethanol; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D017830:Octoxynol