Comparison of Prominent Ear Recurrence in Different Age Groups.

[AIM] Although many prominent ear deformity (PED) surgery techniques have been described to date, there have been few comprehensive studies evaluating the recurrence rates in different age groups. Previous studies have focused either on the young or the elderly. The present clinical study compares recurrence rates among patients of different age groups undergoing PED repair and discusses cartilage morphology.

[PATIENTS AND METHODS] A total of 380 patients with a mean age of 24.2 years underwent PED repair surgery between 2001 and 2019. The patients were divided into five subgroups according to age. Group I (5-10 years) was composed of 44 patients, Group II (10-20 years) was composed of 47 patients, Group III (20-30 years) was composed of 166 patients, Group IV (30-40 years) was composed of 90 patients, and Group V (over 40 years) was composed of 33 patients. The cephaloauricular angle (CAA) and the distance between the helix (upper, middle, lower) and mastoid were measured and recorded prior to surgery. The patients were all treated with three concha-mastoid sutures to achieve concha reduction and to narrow the cephaloauricular angle. The anterior aspect of the cartilage was thinned with a rasp, and an antihelix was created using non-absorbable sutures in patients with an inadequate antihelix.

[RESULTS] The CAA and the upper pole-mastoid distance were measured immediately after surgery and at 15 days, 3 and 6 months after surgery. Recurrence was observed in a total of 18 patients, with PED recurring in one patient in Group I (2.3%), three patients in Group II (6.38%), 10 patients in Group III (6.8%), three patients in Group IV (3.3%) and one patient in Group V (3.03%). Although the difference in the recurrence rate among the age groups would appear to be clinically significant, the difference was not significant, statistically. Clinically, the differences among the groups could be attributed to intragroup numerical differences.

[CONCLUSIONS] In the present study, no significant relationship was identified between the patient age and recurrence rate. Although PED repair is recommended in the preschool period, prominent ear repairs can be carried out in any age group, although the degree of cartilage scoring should differ depending on the age group.

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