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Published on: November 30, 2010
[Nonsurgical correction of cryptotia in children older than early neonates]
1Department of Otolaryngology，Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center，Guangzhou，510623，China.
Insights
Nonsurgical correction of cryptotia using the Earwell system is effective in children over 6 months old, though recovery rates are lower than in younger children. Parents must be informed about potential complications and adhere to treatment for best results.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Plastic Surgery
- Otolaryngology
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Cryptotia is a congenital ear deformity requiring timely intervention.
- Nonsurgical correction methods are increasingly explored for pediatric ear deformities.
- The Earwell auricle correction system offers a non-invasive approach to ear reshaping.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical efficacy and safety of the Earwell auricle correction system for treating cryptotia in children older than 6 months.
- To compare treatment outcomes, complications, and recurrence rates in older children versus infants.
- To identify factors influencing successful nonsurgical correction of cryptotia.
Main Methods:
- A retrospective study comparing two groups of children with cryptotia treated with the Earwell system: one group over 6 months old (study group) and one group under 6 months old (control group).
- Data collected included treatment duration, correction effectiveness, complication incidence, and recurrence rates over a 3-6 month follow-up period.
- Statistical analysis was performed to compare outcomes between the two age groups.
Main Results:
- The study group (over 6 months) required significantly longer treatment duration compared to the control group (under 6 months).
- Effective correction rates were high in both groups (90.91% in the study group vs. 96.43% in the control group), with no statistically significant difference.
- The recovery rate was significantly lower in the study group (31.82%) compared to the control group (85.71%).
- Complications, including skin redness, swelling, stent shedding, and pressure ulcers, were more frequent in the older children's group.
Conclusions:
- The Earwell system can be utilized for nonsurgical correction of cryptotia in children over 6 months, primarily for repositioning the auricle.
- This method may not improve associated malformations like helix adhesion or upper helix dysplasia.
- Comprehensive parental counseling regarding potential complications and consistent adherence to the correction system are crucial for successful treatment outcomes.
Abstract:
Objective:To study the clinical application of nonsurgical correction of cryptotia in children older than 6 months. Methods:The children with cryptotia deformity treated in Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from January 2017 to January 2021 were divided into two groups according to their ages. The study group was over 6 months old and the control group was under 6 months old. They were treated with a Earwell auricle correction system, the follow-up was continued for 3-6 months, and the correction effects, complications and recurrence after the treatment were calculated in the two groups. Results:The average time of the treatment start stage and consolidation stage in the study group was（20.29±7.14） days and（31.82±9.65） days, and respectively the control group was（7.5±3.21） days and（16.64±6.53） days, the difference in treatment time between the two groups was statistically significant（P=0.001）. The effective rate in the study group was 90.91%（20/22）, and the effective rate in the control group was 96.43%（27/28）, there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups（P=0.576）. The recovery rate in the study group was 31.82%（7/22）, and the recovery rate in the control group was 85.71%（24/28）, the cure rate of the control group was higher than that of the study group（P=0.002）. Complications occurred in both groups. The most common complications in the study group were skin redness and swelling 18 cases（81.82%） and stent shedding 16 cases（72.73%）, pressure ulcers followed by 12 cases（54.55%）. The most common complication in the control group was skin eczema 9 cases（32.14%）, pressure ulcers 6 cases（21.43%）, stent shedding 5 cases（17.86%）. There was a statistical difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups（P<0.05）. Conclusion:For older children with cryptotia, Earwell correction systems can still be actively tried to correct hidden ears, but only the hidden auricle can be pulled out. Other combined malformations such as helix adhesion, dysplasia of the upper helix, etc. cannot be improved. Before treatment, it is necessary to fully communicate with the parents about possible complications during the treatment process. Encouraging children and parents to insist on wearing the correction system is the key to successful treatment.
