NONSURGICAL CORRECTION OF CONGENITAL AURICULAR DEFORMITIES IN CHILDREN OLDER THAN EARLY NEONATES

It has been reported that nonsurgical correction of auricular deformit ies is not effective except in early neonates. We have succeeded in no nsurgical correction using thermoplastic splints for congenital auricu lar deformities on 50 ears of 45 patients without severe hypoplasia in children older than 1 year. Details of the types of ears we attempted to treat were 26 cryptotias, 5 lop ears, 5 Stahl's ears, 3 prominent ears, 3 shell ears, and 8 other miscellaneous conditions. The patients were between 1 and 14 years of age with an average age of 3.6 years. Our results were categorized as follows: excellent (the auricle was de licately corrected into a desirable form and satisfied the patient), i mproved (the auricle was corrected into a rough form that did not atta in to a desirable shape and an irregular form still remained; however, its improvement satisfied the patient), recurrent (the auricle was in itially corrected but the deformity recurred), not improved (the auric le was not corrected to the desired form and the result did not satisf y the patient), and gave up (the patient gave up before treatment coul d be completed). In our results, the average period of splint applicat ion was 2.1 months. In 27 of the 50 cases, the treated ears were excel lent. Eleven ear cases showed improvement. Sis cases showed recurrence . Three cases did not improve. Three patients gave up treatment. It is suggested that nonsurgical auricular correction is possible in almost all children, even if they are not early neonates, when corrections a re made continuously and gradually.