Use of Alloderm in the neurotologic setting.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether Alloderm (Life Cell Corporation, The Woodlands, TX) can be used to cover canal wall down mastoid defects, as well as repair dural defects from translabyrinthine and transpetrosal approaches to the skull base.


METHODS
A retrospective analysis was performed at an academic tertiary care medical center. Eighteen patients were operated on with canal wall down mastoidectomies, and Alloderm was used to reconstruct the tympanic membrane and line the mastoid cavity. Eleven patients had dural defects reconstructed after skull base approach surgery. We wanted to determine whether the Alloderm graft healed in canal wall down mastoidectomy procedures with good epithelialization. For the skull base approaches, we determined whether a cerebrospinal fluid leak had occurred.


RESULTS
The 18 patients who were reconstructed with an Alloderm graft after a canal wall down mastoidectomy all had good epithelialization. As with fascia reconstruction, some granulation tissue occurred, but this was easily controlled in the office setting. Of the 11 patients who underwent reconstruction for skull base surgery approaches, none developed a cerebrospinal fluid leak.


CONCLUSIONS
Alloderm may provide a suitable grafting material when fascia is either not readily available, or the size of the defect precludes the use of fascia.
Weber
Peter C
PC
Department of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA.
Lambert
Paul R
PR
Cunningham
Calhoun D
CD
Richardson
Mary S
MS
Genao
Roberto Bastista
RB
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003094:Collagen / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008416:Mastoid / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D008875:Middle Aged; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D019291:Skull Base / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*
C440568:Alloderm; D003094:Collagen