Research article

Obliteration of radical cavities with autogenous cortical bone; long-term results

Akram M Abdel-Rahman^1,2 , Matti Pietola² , Teemu J Kinnari² , Hans Ramsay² , Jussi Jero² and Antti A Aarnisalo²

¹  Audiology Unit, Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology, Mansoura Univ., Mansoura, Egypt

²  Dept. of Otorhinolaryngology, Univ. of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

author email corresponding author email

BMC Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders 2008, 8:4doi:10.1186/1472-6815-8-4

Published:	29 July 2008

Abstract

Background

To evaluate the long-term surgical outcome(s) in patients who have undergone canal-wall-down operation with mastoid and epitympanic obliteration using autologous cortical bone chips, bone pate and meatally-based musculoperiosteal flap technique.

Method

Retrospective evaluation of seventy patients operated during 1986–1991 due to a cholesteatoma. An otomicroscopy was performed to evaluate the postoperative outer ear canal configuration with a modified Likert scale (1 – 4). The outer ear canal physical volume was assessed by tympanometry. The hearing outcome and a patient-filled questionnaire were also analyzed.

Results

The posterior wall results were 1.8 (± 0.9 SD) and the attic region 1.8 (± 0.9 SD) (ns., p > 0.05). These values show either no cavity formation or minor formation of a cavity, with a good functional result. The mean volume of the operated ear canal was 1.7 (± 0.5 SD) ml. The volume of the contralateral ear canal was 1.2 (± 0.3 SD) ml (*** p < 0.0001). A comparison of the current mean ABG to the preoperative mean ABG and to the ABG at one-year postoperatively, 5-years postoperatively or 10-years postoperatively showed no statistical significance (p > 0.05).

Conclusion

ABG does not significantly change in the long-term. The configuration of the cavity tends to change, however, the obliteration material is stable in the long-term and clinically significant cavitation rarely occurs.