Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
External Ear Canal Disorders
Number of Conditions: 1
Atresia (Absence of the Ear Canal)
Specialty: Ear
Category: Congenital and Developmental Ear Disorders
Sub-category: External Ear Canal Disorders
Symptoms:
absence or narrowing of the ear canal; hearing loss (conductive); wax buildup in residual ear canal
Root Cause:
Failure of the ear canal to develop fully during fetal development, often coexisting with Microtia.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Visual inspection, CT imaging to assess ear canal structure and middle ear anatomy, and audiometry for hearing assessment.
Treatment:
Surgical canaloplasty (ear canal reconstruction), bone-anchored hearing aids (BAHA), or hearing implants in severe cases.
Medications:
Antibiotics for any secondary infections; otherwise, no direct pharmacological treatment.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Occurs in approximately 1 in 10,000 to 20,000 births, often with Microtia.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Genetic predisposition, exposure to teratogens, or syndromic associations (e.g., Treacher Collins syndrome).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Hearing can be restored partially or fully with appropriate surgical and hearing aid interventions; the condition does not typically affect life expectancy.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Chronic ear infections, cholesteatoma formation, and hearing impairment if untreated.