How a labyrinthine fistula may sometimes be useful for surgery.

The author reports a case of chronic otitis with cholesteatoma complicated by a fistula of the lateral semicircular canal and a stapedo-ovalar ankylosis, probably of otosclerotic origin, in which the decision to take advantage of the fistula to create conditions similar to those generally produced by labyrinthine fenestration allowed virtual functional recovery of the patient's hearing. The case illustrates how, with a ploy of this kind, certain intrinsically negative features may actually turn out to be a blessing in disguise.