![]() Surgery to repair CAA is one of the most challenging operations the ear specialist faces. The tympanic membrane in these ears may or may not be attached to the ear bones (the ossicular chain). In less severe forms of the disorder, the ear canal may be stenotic (narrow) with a pinpoint aperture leading into the medial ear canal and, possibly, a rudimentary tympanic membrane. If a semblance of an external auditory meatus (outer opening) is present, the ear canal may end in a shallow blind pouch. In the severe form of the disorder, no identifiable ear canal exists (complete atresia), and the middle ear and its structures (ossicles, or ear bones) may be absent or show significant underdevelopment. Therefore, the clinician may encounter varying degrees of severity of this malformation. Embryologic development of the ear canal and middle ear may be arrested at any point in the process. Talking with other parents whose children have aural atresia can help.In congenital aural atresia (CAA), the external auditory canal (EAC) and structures in the middle ear fail to develop completely. They may want to talk to a social worker or counselor. If your child has other medical problems, be sure to follow the doctor’s instructions for care.Īs kids get older, they might worry about their condition or the way their ear looks. Talk to your doctor about which treatments are best for your child. ![]() Hearing devices to improve hearing, surgery to fix the way the outer ear looks, and speech therapy are all available. If your child has aural atresia, there are many treatments that can help. Some can be surgically placed in the bone behind the ear or inside the ear. As kids grow, other hearing devices can help. On babies, the device usually is attached with an elastic band that goes around the child’s head. This device bypasses the missing ear canal and takes sound vibrations directly to the hearing nerve. Most children with aural atresia have a normal hearing nerve, so they can use a bone conduction device. It’s important for a baby’s development to treat any hearing loss as soon as possible. How Do Doctors Treat Hearing Loss in Aural Atresia? ![]() A hearing device can help improve hearing for almost all kids with the condition. It depends on how the middle and inner ear are formed and how the temporal bone grows over the first few years of life. Not every child with aural atresia will get surgery. a geneticist to help families understand how aural atresia can run in families.a pediatrician to help coordinate care and treat any ear infections right away.a pediatric plastic surgeon to rebuild the ear (if the child has microtia).a speech therapist to help with talking and understanding language.an audiologist (hearing specialist) to help treat hearing loss.an otolaryngologist (ear, nose, and throat doctor) to help plan treatment and do surgery.That's because the temporal bone around the ear grows a lot early in life.īabies with aural atresia need a care team to help them get the best treatment. Imaging studies, such as a CT scan, usually aren't done until children are closer to 6 years old. If a baby has problems with how their outer ear formed or fails a newborn hearing screen, doctors will check for other problems by doing an exam and more hearing tests. Some children with the condition also have a genetic syndrome such as Treacher Collins syndrome or Goldenhar syndrome. It is sometimes caused by genetic changes (mutations). trapped skin in the small ear canal called a cholesteatomaĭoctors don't know exactly why aural atresia happens.Children with aural atresia may also have: If it happens in one ear only, the hearing in the other ear usually is normal.īecause the canal did not form at all, there is no opening of the ear. What Are the Signs & Symptoms of Aural Atresia?Īural atresia can happen in one or both ears, but most commonly affects only one ear. Most babies with aural atresia also have microtia (a small, misshapen outside part of the ear).Īural atresia (OR-ul eh-TREE-zhuh) causes hearing loss, but treatments can help most children hear better. The parts of the inner ear, including the auditory (hearing) nerve, are usually normal. There also are problems with the middle ear bones (called ossicles). The baby's eardrum either didn't form normally or is missing. Aural atresia is when a baby is born without an ear canal.
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