Use of the medicinal leech in the treatment of ear diseases

This study reports the use of live medicinal leeches (Hirudo medicinalis) and a fivefold saline dilution of native salivary gland secretion delivered by microelectrophoresis into the mastoid process region for treating tinnitus from inner-ear affections, acute external otitis, and chronic otitis media, with the diluted saliva showing approximately 25–30% lower effect than live leech application. For ASH's domain, this is a directly relevant report documenting hirudotherapy and the leech salivary secretome applied in otology, including a rare head-to-head comparison between whole-organism therapy and isolated salivary secretion. However, the abstract provides no patient numbers, quantitative outcome criteria, safety data, or methodological detail beyond the stated efficacy comparison, and the basis for determining treatment success is unspecified, substantially limiting the strength of conclusions that can be drawn.