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.