title: [Congenital atresia of the external auditory canal].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the clinical characters and treatments of congenital aural atresia.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1986 to 1996, 44 patients (50 ears) with congenital aural atresias were operated in the ENT Department of the PLA General Hospital. Postoperative audiological follow-up ranged from 6 months to 9 years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ossicular chain anomalies were presented in all cases. This consisted most frequently of fusion (54%) or deficiency (36%) of the malleus and the incus with or without fusion to the tympanic wall. Facial nerve abnormalities were seen in 16 ears (32%). After the operation, hearing improvement was found in 33 ears (66%), in which 13 ears (26%) had hearing improvement (pure tone threshold) up to 40 dB. The postoperative complications were external auditory canal stenosis, lateralization of the tympanic membrane and recurrent infections of the cavity and canal skin, with incidences of 34%, 18% and 14%, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Maintenance of width of the aural canal and prevention of lateral healing of the transplantated tympanic membrane were crucial in the treatment of congenital aural atresia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, PLA General Hospital, Beijing 100853.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000002:abnormalities / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014433:Tympanoplasty