ABSTRACT
Myringitis is, simply, inflammation of the tympanic membrane. It commonly occurs as part of either acute bullous myringitis or granular myringitis (which is usually described as a chronic disorder). Bullous myringitis (BM) is an acute inflammatory condition affecting the tympanic membrane (TM) characterized by the presence of bullae or vesicles on the surface of the TM. Granular myringitis (GM) can be defined as a chronic inflammatory disorder characterized by de-epithelialization of the outer (squamous) layer of the tympanic membrane (TM) and replacement with granulation tissue, all in the absence of middle ear disease. It is important to differentiate GM from other causes of chronic otorrhoea. Furthermore, most definitions of GM exclude patients with perforation or cholesteatoma. The natural history of this condition is difficult to determine as patients may be asymptomatic despite continued myringitis.
