[Surgical treatment of acquired external auditory canal atresia].

Acquired atresia of the external auditory canal is a relatively rare disease, that can be the result of the recurrent external otitis, chronic media otitis, ear trauma, neoplasms or iatrogenic complications. The surgical treatment results after operation in the 7 patients with acquired external auditory canal atresia were presented. The mean age of the patients was 34.1 and the female to male ratio was 2:5. In 6 cases we performed transcanal operation. The meatus atresia was removed and then the stenotic canal was widened by removing the skin and fibrous tissue. We especially focused our attention on the state of the anterior angle of the tympanic membrane. The bony canal was widened by burr in cases with bony overhangs. The bony canal walls were lined with pediculate or free skin grafts. In cases of tympanic membrane perforation we performed myringoplasty with temporal muscle fascia or tragus perichondrium. The follow-up period was from 8 to 39 months. The hearing improvement with primary closure of air bone gap within 20 dB was achieved in 43% of cases. In 28% of the patients recurrent atresia developed. The early surgical treatment is recommended in all the cases because cholesteatoma behind the atresia was found in 28% of patients.