[Canal wall reconstruction with tragus cartilage and tempralis fascia graft].

OBJECTIVE

This paper highlights the therapeutic effect of tragus cartilage and temporalis fascia graft on repairing bone and skin defect in external auditory canal.

METHODS

Forty-one surgical patients were recuited, including 39 cases of external auditory canal cholesteatoma and 2 cases of osteoma. External auditory canal bone wall and skin defect and mastoid air cells exposure were found during operation. We followed up these cases periodically (in 3 weeks, 3 months, 6 months and 1 year later respectively) after repairing the patients' external auditory canal bone wall and skin with tragus cartilage and temporalis fascia graft.

RESULTS

Twenty-nine cases healed perfectly while other 12 cases grew small granulation in 3 weeks. After shaving granulations and tamping Tela Iodoformum, wounds healed in the following week. The epithelization of the external auditory canal in our patients was complete after 3 months and no stenosis were found. Natural morphology of external auditory canal was maintained without mastoid air cells exposure after 6 months to 1 year of time.

CONCLUSIONS

It is not only convenient to acquire the tragus cartilage and temporalis fascia, but also easy to repair the defect of external auditory canal bone wall and skin. It can reconstruct the wall of external auditory canal, obliterate mastoid cells and perfectly maintain the normal form of external auditory canal via the cartilage.