Question mark ear deformity-revisited.

Area of Science:

• Plastic Surgery
• Otolaryngology
• Congenital Deformities

Background:

• Unusual ear deformities, such as Cosman (question mark) ear and aurico-condylar syndrome, present unique surgical challenges.
• Standard surgical correction techniques may require modification for complex or syndromic presentations.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe modifications of surgical techniques for two rare ear deformities.
• To present successful management strategies for complex ear cleft deformity and bilateral ear deformity with lobe separation.

Main Methods:

• Case 1: Simultaneous correction of unilateral question mark ear with prominence and anti-helix cartilage bulge using cartilage suturing/scoring and Al-Qattan's "v-y skin flap-cartilage graft-z-plasty" technique.
• Case 2: Staged transposition followed by Al-Qattan's technique for bilateral ear deformity and complete separation of ear lobes in aurico-condylar syndrome.

Main Results:

• Successful simultaneous correction of the complex unilateral ear deformity in the first patient.
• Satisfactory aesthetic and functional outcome achieved for the bilateral ear deformities in the second patient after staged procedures.

Conclusions:

• Modified surgical approaches, including cartilage grafting and specific flap techniques, are effective for correcting complex ear deformities.
• Individualized surgical planning and technique modification are crucial for achieving optimal results in rare ear malformations.