Favorable prognostic factors for long-term postoperative hearing results after canal tympanoplasty for congenital aural stenosis.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to determine favorable prognostic factors for long-term postoperative hearing results after canal tympanoplasty for congenital aural stenosis (CAS).

STUDY

DESIGN

Retrospective case review.

SETTING

Tertiary referral center.

PATIENTS: Canal tympanoplasty for CAS was performed in 25 ears.

INTERVENTION: Primary repair of CAS.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The influences of the following factors on the success of surgery were assessed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses: modified Jahrsdoerfer grading system total score; age at surgery; patterns of presentation (whether sporadic or syndromic); presence of external auditory canal (EAC) cholesteatoma; presence of ossicular fixation, including the malleus bar; presence of a partial atretic plate; exposure of the facial nerve at the tympanic portion; type of tympanoplasty; and each component of the modified Jahrsdoerfer grading system.

RESULTS

The univariate analysis revealed that the absence of EAC cholesteatoma (p = 0.029) and the presence of a partial atretic plate (p = 0.040) were significant predictive factors for favorable hearing prognosis, whereas the multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that an absence of EAC cholesteatoma was the most significant favorable predictive factor (p = 0.011), followed by anterolateral position of the malleus/incus complex with respect to the stapes as the second-most favorable factor (p = 0.021).

CONCLUSION

The absence of EAC cholesteatoma and anterolateral position of the malleus/incus complex with respect to the stapes are considered useful in predicting long-term favorable hearing results after canal tympanoplasty for CAS.