Atresia of the external ear canal.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION Atresia of the external ear canal may be congenital or acquired. Congenital atresia presents a more complex problem. If it is bilateral, a severe hearing impairment exists from birth, with consequent tardy development of the child. A speech defect is coexistent. The cosmetic deformity is disturbing to the parents early, and later to the patient. These patients are often neglected. Progress in otological surgery has made correction possible, with considerable improvement in the hearing and in the cosmetic appearance. This paper presents another suggested form of surgical therapy. HISTORY Kiesselbach,*in 1883, is credited with the first attempted operation to correct congenital ear deformities. From the literature, it is apparent that misunderstanding of the embryonal development resulted in poor results. Dean and Gittens2in 1917 reviewed the various types of operations and reported hearing improvement in their case. In 1935, Hume and Owens3reported two cases with