Hearing rehabilitation with osseointegrated hearing implant in bilateral congenital external auditory canal atresia

Introduction and objectivesCongenital atresia of the external auditory canal (EAC) is a congenital defect present in one in every 10,000–20,000 births. It causes conductive hearing loss, with an air-bone gap of 50–60 dB. Early amplification is essential in bilateral cases to ensure normal language development. The aim of this study is to present the osseointegrated hearing implant as a treatment for bilateral EAC atresia, reviewing the audiometric results and the rate of complications.Material and methodsRetrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with bilateral congenital EAC atresia under follow-up in the pediatric ENT clinic of the ENT and Head and Neck Surgery department of a Portuguese Tertiary Hospital, between 2003 and 2019. We reviewed the medical records and collected information on the assessment of the initial audiometric status. In the cases submitted for implantation with an osseointegrated hearing implant, we analyzed the details of follow-up, including immediate and long-term post-operative complications, as well as the audiometric results.ResultsWe present 8 pediatric patients, 6 girls and 2 boys, with a diagnosis of bilateral congenital EAC atresia. The audiometric assessment revealed moderate to severe bilateral conductive hearing loss with a mean speech recognition threshold (SRT) of 51 dB. Six patients underwent osseointegrated hearing implantation. All 6 patients showed good audiometric results, with an average SRT of 20 dB and closure of the air-bone gap.ConclusionsThe osseointegrated hearing implant was an effective treatment option in these patients, without significant morbidity or complications. Osseointegrated hearing implantation should be considered first line treatment for children with bilateral congenital EAC atresia, as it presents good functional results and a high level of patient satisfaction.     

Surgical and prosthetic treatment for microphthalmia syndromes

Our aim was to evaluate the long-term outcomes of prosthetic treatment and orbital expansion in the management of microphthalmia syndromes. We did a retrospective single-centre study of all cases of microphthalmia treated between 1989 and 2010. The patients were divided into three groups: isolated microphthalmia, microphthalmia associated with micro-orbitism, and complex microphthalmia syndrome. To evaluate the results a score was computed for each patient by assessing the length of the palpebral fissure, the depth of the conjunctival fornix, and local complications together with an evaluation of the satisfaction of patients and their families.     

An Unusual Orbital Blow-out Fracture: A Case Report

The complete dislocation of the orbital contents into the maxillary antrum as a result of trauma is an extremely rare event and requires immediate exploration and repositioning of the globe with reconstruction of the orbital floor. We present the case of a 10-year-old male who sustained trauma to the orbit and was initially suspected to have developed auto-evisceration. He underwent successful exploration and reconstruction of orbital floor with remarkable improvement.