Microauricular malformation is a common congenital developmental malformation in otolaryngology. Because it is often accompanied by middle ear malformation, it is medically called "congenital external middle ear malformation". How is this deformity caused? Generally speaking, some genetic factors, drug damage or virus infection in the early stage of embryonic development may affect the development of auricle and lead to birth malformation, which can occur unilaterally or bilaterally. Because it is difficult to find microtia in the current prenatal examination, expectant mothers need to pay great attention to personal protection before and during pregnancy. Microauricular deformity can be divided into three levels according to the degree of deformity:
The first stage: the auricle is small, but the structure of each part can still be recognized, and the position is normal, which may be accompanied by stenosis or atresia of the ear canal.
The second stage: there is no normal auricle shape, only sausage-like or rope-like protrusion, which can touch cartilage, but there is no structural feature, no ear canal, and it is often accompanied by middle ear malformation.
Grade ⅲ: There are only sporadic and irregular peanut-like protrusions in or near the original auricle, some of which can touch small pieces of cartilage, often accompanied by micrognathia, middle ear and facial nerve malformation, and a few accompanied by inner ear malformation.
If a child is found to have microtia at birth, parents and friends should not panic first. Please go to the hearing center for hearing and follow-up image examination to determine the hearing condition and whether there is middle ear or inner ear malformation. If there is no hearing abnormality and ear canal malformation in the first grade, you can leave it untreated. The latter two levels of microtia need surgery, which is generally divided into two parts: auricle reconstruction and hearing reconstruction. Because the reconstructed auricle will not grow with the child's growth and development, it is not appropriate to reconstruct the auricle with microtia too early. Hearing loss in both ears will affect children's speech development. Before the age of 6, children with binaural malformation must have hearing reconstruction or wear appropriate hearing AIDS according to the actual hearing situation to minimize speech development obstacles. Autologous costal cartilage in children after 6 years old can provide the amount needed for carving auricle bracket before reconstruction operation, and it is best for those who do not need hearing reconstruction after 15 years old.