Microtia is a congenital condition that impacts the outer ear. In this condition, the outer ear doesn’t form correctly during the first trimester of pregnancy. Patients with Microtia will have smaller ears than normal, some of them being as small as a tiny peanut. Typically, only one ear is affected, but both ears can be malformed as well. This condition is more common in males, and it can also be associated with an absence of the ear canal as well.
This condition has grades associated with it. These grades have different malformations associated with them, and therefore different symptoms are present in each grade.
This grade is linked with an ear that is smaller than normal, but the rest of a normal ear’s structure is present.
In this grade, some of the features of a normal ear are missing, but the lower portion of the ear is usually present. This grade is also sometimes called conchal-type microtia. The ear canal is often present but is typically far narrower than it should be.
This is the most common grade of this condition, and it features a very small external ear that is shaped like a peanut. This condition is sometimes called lobular type microtia, and the ear canal is often completely missing.
This grade is quite rare. There is no external ear and no remnant present.
Many patients with this condition do not have significant medical issues associated with their missing ear structure. However, when the ear canal is missing, hearing is impacted. Some patients will also have other conditions, like a cleft palate.
The exact cause of this condition is not well understood. This is a rare condition, and it is not often detectable on prenatal ultrasound or in other prenatal testing. It is possible that this condition is caused by the pressure of the foetus against the womb, which causes the ear to be unable to form or to be malformed. It is also possible that the umbilical cord can block the development of the ear.
A drop in oxygen levels during the first trimester of pregnancy might also cause this condition, and drug use and alcohol use in pregnancy might also be responsible. Taking Accutane during pregnancy or taking methamphetamines during pregnancy might also be responsible for this condition.
The risk factors for Microtia are not totally clear. However, drug and alcohol abuse might be the primary risk factor for children who have this ear condition. Since it is not possible to identify this condition while children are in utero, it is hard to say if the placement of the foetus during development has anything to do with the development of microtia.
This condition is usually diagnosed at birth. This is a visible abnormality that can be detected as soon as a baby is born. CT scans can help to determine if the patient has an ear canal or not, and this type of scan can also identify other potential issues with the formation of the other structures of the inner ear.
There is no way to prevent this condition in most cases. Mothers should avoid alcohol and drug use while pregnant to prevent this and other malformations of foetal structures. Patients taking prescription medications should talk to their doctor about these medications as soon as they discover that they are pregnant.
The external appearance of the ear in Microtia patients does not require treatment. Patients with this condition will need to submit to hearing testing, however. This will tell doctors if the patient’s hearing is negatively impacted. In cases where the child does not have an ear canal, the hearing will certainly be impacted.
Ear prosthetics can help some patients to disguise their condition, but these are hard to care for and can be troublesome for some patients. Microtia surgery is also possible in some patients and can successfully restore the affected ear in many cases. Hearing loss is the most common concern that needs to be treated for these patients. Bone-conduction hearing aids can often be the best solution to improve hearing in patients with this condition.