OBJECTIVE: To study various etiologies of traumatic tympanic membrane perforation; evaluate the factors involved in healing of traumatic tympanic membrane perforation; and identify patients with perforations unlikely to benefit from conservative management.
METHODS:
Design: Prospective observational study
Setting: Tertiary Government Medical College and Hospital
Participants: 64 consecutive cases of traumatic tympanic membrane perforation seen over one year were followed for 3 months. Perforations were assessed in terms of size, etiology, condition of edge and other associated factors or combinations of factors with regards to spontaneous healing using descriptive statistics and chi-square tests.
RESULTS: Of the 64 cases, 51 perforations healed while 13 did not. There were significant associations between tympanic membrane condition after 3 months and explosive mode of injury (?2 = 23.30; p=.00001) as well as with size of perforation ((?2 = 25.75; p=.00001). The risk of persistence of a tympanic membrane perforation was 34.57 times more among patients with a perforation size >50% compared to those with perforation size ?50% [OR-34.57 (6.28, 190.14); p= .00001]. Combined, explosive etiology and perforation size >50% were significantly associated with non-healing ((?2 = 37.60; p = .00001). There were no significant associations with the condition of the edge of the perforation and upper respiratory tract infection.
CONCLUSIONS: An explosive etiology and tympanic membrane perforation size >50% may be significant risk factors predicting non-healing of the perforation. Risk stratification of patients having one or both of these risk factors with early intervention for those with both, and close monitoring for those with any one of these may lessen unnecessary morbidity. Bigger multicenter future studies are necessary to confirm these initial findings.

Human ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Adolescent ; Tympanic Membrane Perforation ; Tympanic Membrane ; Early Intervention (education) ; Conservative Treatment ; Wound Healing ; Morbidity ; Craniocerebral Trauma ; Respiratory Tract Infections

Camphor, a waxy white sublimable chemical, widely used worldwide by various communities for many religious purposes. Here we report a clinical image of self-inflicted injury from burning camphor on the palm resulting in burns. It also highlights the sociocultural pattern of this injury and need of psychopathic and therapeutic help of the patients.

Summary Secondary syphilis is a rare infectious sexually transmitted disease caused by Treponema pallidum in present era. It affects skin as well as other organs of the body. We hereby present a case of an adult male who presented with a one-month history of multiple brownish red maculopapular lesions all over the skin of the body involving the palms, soles, oral cavity and genitalia. His serology was positive for HIV, VDRL and TPHA with a low CD4 count. The patient was treated with three weekly doses of parenteral Benzathine penicillin G, antiretroviral therapy and podophyllin for condyloma acuminata to which he responded well.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases ; Neurosyphilis ; Condylomata Acuminata

Maduramycosis1 is chronic infection of cutaneous and subcutaneous tissue caused by bacteria and fungi. It involves skin, subcutaneous tissue and bones.2 Here we report a case series of 14 patients of mycetoma describing their epidemio-clinical features and laboratory investigations. The most common clinical presentation in the patients were infiltrated subcutaneous swelling with multiple discharging sinus tracts (fistulas). Lesions were located on the foot in all the cases.