Middle ear dimensions in congenital aural atresia and hearing outcomes after atresiaplasty.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if middle ear dimensions in congenital aural atresia (CAA) patients can predict early postoperative audiometric outcomes in order to establish specific parameters that facilitate stratification of surgical candidates.


METHODS
Retrospective case review.


METHODS
Tertiary referral center.


METHODS
Twenty-five patients with CAA (28 atretic ears and 22 nonatretic ears) and 12 controls (24 ears).


METHODS
Primary repair of congenital aural atresia.


METHODS
Measure and compare middle ear dimensions in controls, atretic ears, and nonatretic ears in unilateral CAA. Determine correlations between the dimensions and best speech reception threshold during the first postoperative year (SRT-1).


RESULTS
The epitympanic depth, medial canal diameter, and the mesotympanic height, area, and estimated volume measurements in atretic ears differ significantly with those in control ears. The mesotympanic length, area, and estimated volume measurements each correlate significantly with SRT-1. Atretic ears with a mesotympanic volume estimate measurement greater than or equal to 42 mm3 are 24 times more likely to have an SRT-1 of 25 dB or better than those measuring less than 42 mm3 (odds ratio = 24.5; 95% confidence interval, 2.826-212.4; Fisher's exact test, p = 0.0022).


CONCLUSIONS
Middle ear measurements in appropriately selected patients may help predict successful early hearing outcomes after atresiaplasty, thus offering a valuable tool for the surgical decision-making process.
Oliver
Eric R
ER
Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina 29425, USA.
Lambert
Paul R
PR
Rumboldt
Zoran
Z
Lee
Fu-Shing
FS
Agarwal
Amit
A
D001301:Audiometry, Pure-Tone; D001309:Auditory Threshold; D002648:Child; D004424:Ear Canal / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004432:Ear, Middle / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005154:Facial Nerve / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D013506:Otologic Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology