Structure and Healing Capacity of the Rat Tympanic Membrane After Eustachian Tube Occlusion

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Abstract
Obstruction of the Eustachian tube in rats resulted in an accumulation of serous fluid in the middle ear cavity. The fluid was 1st detected in the attic. Subsequently, the whole cavity became filled. When a perforation of the tympanic membrane was performed in connection with tube obstruction, the mesotympanon was free from fluid, but not the attic, as long as the perforation remained open. After 9-11 days of obstruction, the pars flaccida was maximally retracted, forming a non-adhesive clean retraction pocket. Marked ultrastructural changes occurred in the pars flaccida following tube obstruction. Regardless of the occluded Eustachian tube, traumatic tensa perforation healed rapidly.