The topical use of 5-fluorouracil in the ear in the management of cholesteatoma and excessive mucous secretion.
5-Fluorouracil was introduced in the early 1960s as a topical chemotherapeutic agent and has become increasingly accepted because of its efficacy, economy, and relative absence of side effects in treating many pre-cancerous conditions, certain benign and malignant tumors, and dermatoses. This paper addresses the use of topical 5-fluorouracil in the management of cholesteatoma and unwanted mucus-secreting cells. A retrospective study has suggested a very impressive efficacy of topical 5-fluorouracil in the management of cholesteatoma and, to a lesser degree, control of hyper-mucus-secreting cells at locations in the middle ear and mastoid. The use of topical 5-fluorouracil in the management of hyperkeratosis, cholesteatoma in the middle ear and mastoid, and in the external canal has been almost 100% effective with very few side effects. In the management of hyper-mucous-secreting cells, 5-fluorouracil has a success rate of approximately 50%.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002781:Cholesteatoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000378:metabolism; D005472:Fluorouracil / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009093:Mucus / Q000378:metabolism*
D005472:Fluorouracil