Journal Club

摘要

Congenital malformation of external and middle ear is one of the common birth defects in otological clinic and the incidence rate may range from 1 in 10,000 to 1 in 20,000. The typical presentations include microtia, varying degrees of malformation of the external auditory canal ranging from complete absence to mild stenosis, and malformation of the middle ear. In addition, 11% to 47% of patients also associate inner ear malformations. The diagnosis and preoperative assessment of congenital malformations of external and middle ears are based on clinical and functional examinations and radiological investigations, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging. Different approaches including bone-conducting conventional hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aids, vibrant sound-bridge, and reconstructive surgery can be used in treating significant hearing loss in such patients In particular, floating mass transducer (FMT) placed on the round window is another useful option to remedy the hearing problems in these patients. In this method, round window implantation bypassing the malformed external auditory canal and ossicular chain delivers vibratory energy directly to the cochlea