Microtia: Causes, Symptoms & Treatment

Have you ever heard of a condition or ever seen a person with a missing part of the outer ear or a complete absence of the ear? This is a disease called Microtia, where the outer part is missing. And when the outer ear is completely missing, then it is called Anotia. Worldwide, thousands of people are suffering from microtia, some at normal stages and some in serious condition. But there is nothing to be afraid of because it is curable with surgery. If anyone you know is suffering from Microtia or Anotia, check out this blog to examine the symptoms, causes, and treatments.

What is Microtia?

Microtia is a congenital condition, where the outer part of the ear is missing. The word microtia originates from the Latin words ‘micro’ means small, and ‘otia’ means ear.

Generally, it occurs when the outer part of the ear is not fully developed during the first trimester of pregnancy. Later, it becomes a problem in which a person not only faces problems with hearing but also seems weird in public.

Microtia usually affects individuals in stages; from an initial normal stage, a person will hear normally like others, but the last stage causes hearing loss (Complete absence of the outer ear), which is called Anotia.

Stages of Microtia?

Microtia has 4 grades, or you can say 4 types, each grade has a different appearance:

Grade 1: In the first grade, Microtia remains in a normal condition where the ear is smaller than normal, but all parts of the ear are present.

Grade 2: The ear is more underdeveloped than grade 1, and some parts are missing, usually the upper part. The ear canal is generally closed or narrow in this condition.

Grade 3: This grade is most common, where just a small remnant of ‘peanut-shaped’ is present, and the ear canal and eardrum are absent.

Grade 4: This is the last stage, where the outer part and ear canal of the ear are completely missing.

Grade 1: In the first grade, Microtia remains in a normal condition where the ear is smaller than normal, but all parts of the ear are present.

Grade 2: The ear is more underdeveloped than grade 1, and some parts are missing, usually the upper part. The ear canal is generally closed or narrow in this condition.

Grade 3: This grade is most common, where just a small remnant of ‘peanut-shaped’ is present, and the ear canal and eardrum are absent.

Grade 4: This is the last stage, where the outer part and ear canal of the ear are completely missing.

Note: These stages are present from birth. They do not increase with child’s age and growth.

What Are the Causes of Microtia?

Though the exact cause of Microtia is still unknown, it occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy. Scientists have found some factors that can be considered as causes, like genetic changes, alcohol during pregnancy, maternal health during pregnancy, or a diet low in folic acid.

Symptoms and Signs of Microtia

Microtia has many appearances according to its grades, but usually the initial grade looks normal. Below are some symptoms and signs through which you can ensure Microtia.

Appearance symptoms:

• The outer ear is smaller than normal.
• It just looks like an asymmetrical shape or a peanut shape.
• Maybe the outer ear is completely missing (Anotia).

Hearing symptoms:

• Due to the underdevelopment of the ear, the ear canal is not formed properly, and this leads to hearing loss.
• In most cases, microtia doesn’t affect the ear canal, but the outer part can be smaller. In this condition, a person can hear normally like others.

Other symptoms:

• There can also be abnormalities in the facial and jaw structure.

Treatment of Microtia

Microtia doesn’t always need treatment, but if a child is facing problems in hearing, then it may create hurdles in a child’s personal development and needs treatment. The outer part of the ear can be easily treated with microtia surgery.

However, the absence of the ear canal is a big deal and can cause various problems like hearing loss, language development, learning difficulties in school, and others. Some common treatments for microtia are:

Surgical Ear Reconstruction

1. Autologous rib cartilage reconstruction: It is a surgical process in which a surgeon harvests a patient’s own rib cartilage to reconstruct the missing outer ear part.
2. Alloplastic reconstruction: In this surgery, synthetic material is used to build the outer part of the ear.
3. Silicone ear reconstruction: This process isn’t considered surgery because a custom-made silicone ear is placed in the missing part of the ear. This looks real and is designed with a cosmetic solution.

Note: Surgeons advise reconstruction surgery between the ages of 6 to 9.

Hearing Loss

There are some surgical and non-surgical treatments for hearing loss:

Surgical treatment includes:

1. Canalplasty: It is a process to create or open the ear canal.
2. Alloplastic or autologous cartilage: The inner, middle, and outer structures of the ear can be reconstructed with these surgeries and will improve hearing.
3. Bone bridge implant: The bone-anchored hearing device bypasses the destroyed ear parts to transmit the sound into the ear through vibrations. It is a surgically implanted device.

Non-surgical treatments include:

1. Headband bone conductive device: This conductive device delivers the sound to the inner ear through vibrations.
2. Bone-anchored hearing device: It is a surgically implanted device that delivers sound from the outer ear to the inner ear through bone conduction. It is implanted in the skull without any surgery.

Microtia: A Curable Abnormality

Microtia or Anotia are both birth defect conditions but can be treated well under the guidance of a specialist microtia doctor. Many kids are living happily with the normal stage of microtia, while some are facing hearing problems at the last stage (Anotia) that can be cured with good treatment.

If you or your familiar person is afflicted with Microtia, then consult with a professional and experienced microtia surgeon. In Jaipur, you can consult Dr. Vijay Gakhar, an expert ENT specialist.