Macrotia refers to an

ear An ear is the organ that enables hearing and, in mammals, body balance using the vestibular system. In mammals, the ear is usually described as having three parts—the outer ear, the middle ear and the inner ear. The outer ear consists of ...

that is larger than would be expected. The normal auricular

axis An axis (plural ''axes'') is an imaginary line around which an object rotates or is symmetrical. Axis may also refer to: Mathematics * Axis of rotation: see rotation around a fixed axis * Axis (mathematics), a designator for a Cartesian-coordinat ...

length is among females and among males. The average width of an adult ear, specifically the distance between the helix root (inner front edge) and the posterior auricle (outer front edge), is between .

Treatment for Macrotia

Macrotia is an external ear malformation and is not known to cause any hearing impairment on its own, although it may occasionally occur simultaneously with other developmental disorders that do affect hearing. Treatment is typically not necessary, although patients may seek cosmetic treatment. In some cases, surgery (

otoplasty Otoplasty ( el, οὖς, , "ear" + , , "to shape") denotes the surgical and non-surgical procedures for correcting the deformities and defects of the pinna (external ear), and for reconstructing a defective, or deformed, or absent external ear, co ...

) is performed to reduce the ear size. While generally considered a cosmetic procedure, otoplasty for macrotia can improve overall quality of life, especially for young patients who may be able to avoid reduced self-esteem and social avoidance behavior due to large ears. Otoplasty for macrotia typically focuses on reducing the size of the scapha, which is the concave region of the ear between the helix and antihelix ridge, while preserving ear shape and contour.

References

External links

Congenital disorders of ears Diseases of the ear and mastoid process {{ear-disease-stub