Meanings of the Tympanic Mucosa Recovered By Tubotympanoplasty (A Long T-Shaped Solid Silicon Plate in Eustachian Tubal Orifice)

We used a surgical procedure suggested by Murata et al. and inserted a T-silicon plate from the tympanic cavity into the opening of the eustachian tube in 2 cases of chronic otitis media. The goal of this surgery was to promote the regeneration and the epithelization of residual mucosa of the eustachian tube. In our results, epitheliums of regenerated tympanic mucosa were histologically examined. Two patients with eustachian tube stenosis demonstrated increased ventilatory function of the eustachian tube and showed epithelium of regenerated mucosa extended toward the mesotympanic and the pretympanic space surrounding the opening of the eustachian tube. Electron microscopic examination of regenerated mucosa of the anterior tympanic cavity, obtained after tubotympanoplasty revealed stratifi ed ciliated epithelium. From above results, our technique suggested to improve the ventilatory function of the eustachian tube, and to promote formation of epithelium of regenerated tympanic mucosa.