Renal ultrasonography not required in babies with isolated minor ear anomalies.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether infants with isolated minor anomalies of the external ear are at increased risk of renal malformations.


METHODS
Consecutive infants with isolated minor anomalies of the external ear (preauricular skin tags, preauricular sinuses, ear pits, and misshapen pinnae) were offered renal ultrasonography by experienced sonographers over a 41 month period. The prevalence of renal anomalies in such infants was compared with that detected on routine fetal scanning during the same period.


RESULTS
Ninety six of 13 136 liveborn infants (7.3/1000, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.9 to 8.9) were noted to have isolated minor ear anomalies on routine neonatal examination, with preauricular skin tags being the most common (85%). Ninety one (95%) infants underwent renal sonography at a mean (SD) age of 40 (19.6) days. Only one infant (1.1%, 95% CI 0.03 to 5.9) had transient unilateral pyelectasia. During the same period, non-syndromic renal anomalies were found in 0.64% (95% CI 0.52 to 0.73) of infants, a prevalence no different from that of infants with minor ear anomalies (p = 0.44).


CONCLUSIONS
Routine renal imaging is not warranted in infants with such minor external ear anomalies unless accompanied by other systemic malformations.
Deshpande
S A
SA
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, Mytton Oak Road, Shrewsbury SY3 8XQ, UK. deshpande@which.net
Watson
H
H
D000015:Abnormalities, Multiple / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007668:Kidney / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D019564:Unnecessary Procedures