To determine whether the administration of mitomycin C prevents propylene glycol exposure from inducing middle-ear cholesteatoma and otitis media, in a rat model.

Twenty-four Wistar rats underwent intratympanic injections on days 1, 8 and 15, via the tympanic membrane pars tensa, in both the right and left ears. The right ear injection solution contained 50 per cent propylene glycol, gentamicin and saline (0.9 per cent), while the left ear solution contained 50 per cent propylene glycol, gentamicin and mitomycin C. Animals were sacrificed and examined.

There were statistically significant differences between the control and experimental groups for tympanic bulla mucosal thickness (p = 0.004) but not for tympanic membrane thickness (p = 0.371), otomicroscopic findings (p = 0.262), or the presence of exudate (p = 0.125), fibrosis (p = 1.000) or cholesteatoma (p = 0.687).

Intratympanic mitomycin C was ineffective in preventing middle-ear cholesteatoma and otitis media in this rat model.

To describe a novel technique of delivering mitomycin C safely via endoscopic sinus surgery.

Mitomycin C was applied in the median frontal drainage pathway of a 44-year-old woman suffering from recalcitrant chronic frontal sinusitis. The mitomycin C was soaked onto a neurosurgical patty, which was delivered through a nasopharyngeal tube trimmed to ensure delivery directly to the desired area, thus sparing adjacent mucosa.

Mitomycin C has been suggested to have a useful role in reducing post-operative scarring after endonasal surgery. The long term safety of topical mitomycin C is not yet known, and inadvertent topical application to adjacent mucosa should be avoided. The described technique achieves this in a simple manner, and can be easily applied to other locations.

To study the role of mitomycin C in reducing keloid recurrence.

Prospective, randomised, controlled trial.

Tertiary care referral centre.

Case series of 20 patients presenting with 26 pinna swellings, mostly following ear piercing.

We used the technique of surgical shave excision combined with topical application of mitomycin C and secondary wound healing, in all 26 pinnae.

Patients were followed up six to 24 months post-operatively. No recurrences were noted during this period.

Keloids are fibrotic lesions resulting from abnormal wound healing. The uncontrolled proliferation of normal tissue healing processes results in scarring that enlarges well beyond the original wound margins. Successful treatment of keloids remains a challenge because this disease process has a high propensity for recurrence. Various therapies have previously been reported, and success rates are highly variable. We believe that shave excision followed by topical mitomycin C application is a promising treatment option for the management of pinna keloids.