Septal perforation healing
Reviewed by Sunil Sharma

This Turkish animal-based study looked at the healing properties of Hypericum Oleum (HO, or St John’s wort) and Triticum vulgare (TV, or wheat germ oil) on nasal septal perforations in rats. Both HO and TV have wound healing properties and so the authors hypothesised that they could be used to aid healing of septal perforations. There were 40 rats with healthy nasal mucosa who were included in the study and anaesthetised. The rats were divided into five groups of eight rats each: Group C had intact nasal mucosa with no perforation, Group P had a perforation with no intranasal medication applied, Group T had intranasal thiocilline applied twice a day for seven days, Group HO had intranasal HO applied twice a day for seven days, and Group TV had intranasal TV applied twice a day for seven days. The intranasal drug administrations were performed by the same person in the perforation in the left nasal cavity. A histopathological scoring system was used to grade septal perforation healing based on epithelialisation, inflammatory cell density, fibroblast density, and capillary density, each scored out of four. Epithelialisation was statistically improved in the HO and TV groups compared to P. HO also had a statistically significant increase in inflammatory cell density, and both HO and T groups had a significantly higher fibroblast score. The HO and TV groups also had a statistically significant higher score in terms of vascularisation. This study suggests that St John’s wort and wheat germ oil may have healing properties in terms of nasal septal perforations. More detailed assessment of these wound healing properties in the nasal septum is needed, as well as trials in other animal and human models.

Investigating the healing effect of Hyperici Oleum and Triticum vulgare on septal perforation in rats: a preliminary study.
Bora A, Durmus K, Inan Z, et al.
B-ENT
2023;19:203–10.