Surgical management of polyotia.
BACKGROUND
Polyotia is an extremely rare type of congenital external ear malformation, which is defined as an accessory ear that is large enough to resemble an additional pinna. The terms 'mirror ear' or 'accessory ear' are sometime used. We present our methods in correcting this malformation and summarise the aetiology.


METHODS
The posterior part of the polyotia may presents with a normal ear, a constricted ear or a microtic ear. Free auricular composite tissue transplantation was used to correct the constricted ear. Ear reconstruction was applied in cases of microtia. The anterior auricle was mainly used to form the tragus.


RESULTS
7 cases polyotia were treated between 2004 and 2008. After free auricular composite tissue transplantation the size of the constricted ear and the contralateral ear was similar. In microtia cases the reconstructed ears were natural looking and had a satisfactory three-dimensional contour. The extra tissue of the anterior ear was excised and the tragus was reconstructed.


CONCLUSIONS
Through operative intervention tailored to the individual case natural-looking and symmetric ears were acquired. The aetiology of polyotia probably relates to abnormal migration of neural crest cell.
Pan
Bo
B
Plastic Surgery Hospital, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, People's Republic of China.
Qie
Shuyan
S
Zhao
Yanyong
Y
Tang
Xiaojun
X
Lin
Lin
L
Yang
Qinghua
Q
Zhuang
Hongxing
H
Jiang
Haiyue
H
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002356:Cartilage / Q000637:transplantation*; D002648:Child; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000151:congenital / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D008297:Male; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012272:Ribs; D016038:Skin Transplantation / Q000379:methods*; D015626:Tissue Expansion / Q000379:methods*; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult