[Surgical treatment and etiological analysis of polyotia].
OBJECTIVE
To explore the surgical treatment and pathologic mechanism of polyotia.


METHODS
The operative methods for polyotia were flexible. The main procedures were aimed at the remodeling of tragus with the redundant tissue. Tissue transplantation was used to correct the depression deformity. Compound auricular tissue transplantation and Z-plasty were used for correction of the malformation at the posterior part of polyotia.


RESULTS
From 2003 to 2008, 9 patients with polyotia were treated. The tragus was reconstructed after resection of redundant tissue. The depression deformity was corrected with tissue infilling in 6 cases. The compound auricular tissue transplantation was performed in 4 cases. Z-plasty at the lower ear lobe was performed in 2 cases. The appearance and the location of the reconstructed ears looked symmetric to the healthy ear.


CONCLUSIONS
Natural and symmetric appearance of reconstructed ear can be achieved in polyotia. The abnormal migration of neural crest cell might be the pathologic mechanism of polyotia.
Pan
Bo
B
Plastic Surgery Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Science, Beijing 100144, China.
Jiang
Hai-yue
HY
Zhuang
Hong-xing
HX
Liu
Lei
L
Zhao
Yan-yong
YY
Wei
Jian-jun
JJ
Yu
Xiao-bo
XB
Lin
Lin
L
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D004431:Ear, External / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures