title: Congenital stapedial suprastructure fixation with normal footplate mobility: case report.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We report a case of bilateral conductive hearing loss caused by stapedial suprastructure fixation with normal footplate mobility.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 50-year-old woman had suffered hearing loss in both ears since childhood. Exploratory tympanotomy revealed immobility of the stapes due to a bony bridge between the stapedial suprastructure and the fallopian canal. The incus was missing, while the malleus handle was minimally deformed. The mobility of the stapes footplate was normal. Post-operatively, the hearing in the right ear improved both subjectively and audiographically, while that in the left ear did not improve because of footplate subluxation during surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is a rare case of congenital stapedial suprastructure fixation with normal footplate mobility. In this patient, development of the second branchial arch was arrested. When performing exploratory tympanotomy for stapedial fixation, one must keep in mind that normal footplate mobility is possible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Chuncheon Sacred Heart Hospital, School of Medicine, Hallym University, Chuncheon, Kangwon, South Korea. zoonox@nate.com
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: S H
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: H C
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Hong
mesh_terms: D001299:Audiometry; D005260:Female; D006312:Hearing Loss, Bilateral / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006314:Hearing Loss, Conductive / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D013199:Stapes / Q000002:abnormalities*; D013201:Stapes Surgery; D016896:Treatment Outcome