Neonatal molding in deformational auricolar anomalies.

INTRODUCTION: Congenital auric - ular anomalies can be categorized either as malfor - mational or deformational. The first are character - ized by a partial absence of the skin or cartilage re - sulting in a constricted or underdeveloped pinna and require surgical correction. Deformations are characterized by a misshaped but fully developed pinna and are best treated by auricular molding. AIM: Authors want to present their case load in treatment of infants affected by deformational auricolar anomalies and describe their tech - niques using early splinting for congenital auric - ular deformities, like prominent ear, lop ear, con - stricted ear, Stahl's ear PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between 2009 to 2011, in Maxillo and Oral Surgery Unit, a nonsurgi - cal technique was used to treat 22 ears affected by deformational anomalies in 12 patients soon after birth. Four patients were female. This kind of non - surgical correction of the deformed auricle was performed on lop ears (n=6), constricted ears (n=8), prominent ears (n= 4), Stahl's ear (n=4). Children more than two months old were also excluded.The mean of treatment time was 5.5 weeks. RESULTS: according to the Authors and the parents 100% of treated auricles improved. Im - proving at the end of the molding treatment was observed in 18% of the auricles, but recurrence to one year of stopping treatment. There were not complications caused by this procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The nonsurgical molding has the advantage to correct at a very early age a cosmetic abnormality, giving a natural and in the most of the time a satisfactory results, with a prevalence rate of complications of much less than surgical corrections.