Stahl’s Ears Deformities

Stahl’s Ears Deformity: The Path from Diagnosis to Treatment

There is an unmatched sense of joy when you see your newborn infant in your arms, the most beautiful sight you have ever seen. The gurgles and coos of your newborn bring you unfathomable happiness. However, you might notice that their tiny ears have an odd shape. If your baby’s ears are a bit pointed at the top, kind of like the Spock ears or Elf ears, it could be a Stahl's ears deformity.

This blog post will help you understand the characteristics of this particular type of congenital ear deformity and investigate both the surgical and non-surgical options for treatment.

The Definition of Stahl’s Ears Deformity

The Stahl's ears deformity is one of the distinct universe of ear malformations. Stahl's ears deformity is a congenital deformity that is frequently referred to as "Vulcan ear," "elf ear," or even "Spock ear" (from the popular Star Trek TV series). It is identified by an extra crease or fold in the outer ear's cartilage that gives it a pointed look.

To put it simply, consider your favorite TV shows where the characters have unusually shaped ears; that's pretty much what we're talking about here. However, from a medical perspective, it is characterized by an extra ridge that runs over the superior crus (upper part) of the antihelix, giving it a more noticeable and occasionally pointed shape.

In addition to impacting your baby’s appearance, this extra fold may result in structural variations that can modify how sound waves penetrate the auditory (hearing) system. Fortunately, children with Stahl’s ear deformity usually have normal hearing abilities despite the outward appearance caused by this condition.

What Causes a Stahl’s Ears Deformity?

What gives the ears of some babies this "pointed" look? The answer isn't easy because there is little evidence to identify one cause over another. From what has been revealed in studies, it's clear that every child's case is different and may be affected by a mix of genetic and environmental factors, such as the baby’s position in the womb, for example. It can show up along with other birth defects, which makes identification more difficult. Don't worry, though. Our team of dedicated EarWell doctors is devoted to giving your little one the best care for his or her ears.

How is Stahl’s Ears Deformity Diagnosed?

An examination of your baby’s ears by one of our EarWell physicians is the fastest and best way to discover whether your baby has an ear deformity and, specifically, a Stahl's ears deformity. When our trained EarWell physicians look at the outer ear, they look for things that make it stand out, like an extra fold in the cartilage or a pointy shape. To help you understand better, let's look at these signs in more depth:

An Extra Fold In the Ear

One of the most obvious signs that a child has a Stahl's ears deformity is an extra crease or fold on the top of their ears, which makes the ears pointy instead of rounded. This extra fold can also push the ears away from the sides of the head, making the ears look bigger than they actually are.

A Prominent Ear Appearance

The added fold in a Stahl’s ears deformity that pushes the ears outwards, creates an abnormal fullness or prominence, that makes the ears look like they “stick out.” With some birth defects of the ear, hearing loss can happen because of problems inside the middle and inner ears. But Stahl's Ears Deformity in and of itself doesn't cause hearing loss. Although a child with a hearing loss might also have a Stahl’s ears deformity, the hearing loss wasn’t caused by the Stahl’s deformity.

Stahl's Ears Compared with Other External Ear Deformities Stahl’s vs. Lop Ear

Lop ear exists when the top part of the outer edge hangs down like a dog ear. In Stahl's, an extra fold makes the top look pointy and noticeable, but in lop ear we see floppiness. Lop ears can only be fixed surgically with dissolvable stitches, but Stahl's can be treated with EarWell and without surgery if it is applied early.

Stahl’s vs. Large Ears

When a person’s ears are too big, they often stick out from the head more than usual, which some people might call the "Dumbo effect.” To fix these, otoplasty surgery is most often needed, but almost all cases of Stahl’s can be fixed without surgery if they are caught early enough with means like EarWell.

Birth Defect Auricular Fistula vs. Superior Fold Extraordinaire

Hereditary auricular fistula causes small holes or pits to form around your baby's ears. They may not look as Star Trek-like as Stahl's ears, but if you don't treat them, your baby could get an infection or lose his or her hearing.

Your newborn is in good hands with EarWell,
whether he or she has Stahl's ears or another birth defect

Knowing how to spot the signs of Stahl's ears abnormality is important for finding it early and choosing the best way to fix it. Early diagnosis can lead to more treatment choices, such as non-surgical options like EarWell, that can change the shape of your baby's ears without needing to have surgery later on. If you notice any of these signs, don't wait to get professional help from an EarWell expert. You can use our Physician Locator Tool to find one near you right away. If you have any difficulties with the tool on our website or can’t find an EarWell physician near you, reach out to us by phone at 630-357-7374.

There Are Two Treatments for Stahl’s Ears Deformity

1. Ear Molding To Treat Stahl’s Ears Deformity

The most successful way to treat external birth deformities like Stahl’s in babies' ears (without surgery) is through ear molding with EarWell, which is, essentially, an extremely soft “cast” that feels like silicone. EarWell must be applied to the baby’s ears as soon as possible after birth, which is key to success. Why the rush? Because your newborn baby’s ear cartilage is very soft and easy to reshape immediately after birth and up to about four weeks of age. Molding doesn’t work on older babies or bigger kids because their ears have hardened by then.

Therefore, the sooner this painless and non-surgical option is given to your baby, the sooner your baby’s ears will look normal. Another advantage of an EarWell for your baby is that it doesn’t involve surgery, sutures or anesthesia, your baby will likely not notice EarWell at all, and it’s all done during two or three office visits. The success rate of EarWell is extremely high, with resolution of many external ear deformities within a 6-week time period. Furthermore, most health insurance companies cover the cost of EarWell, including military coverage and Medicaid/Calcaid.

As parents and providers, it's our job to make sure that our children don't have to deal with mental health problems due to something we could have fixed when they were babies.

If you have a baby with pointy ears because of Stahl's ears deformity, don’t worry. If you catch it early, ear shaping with EarWell can enable you to treat it without surgery. This gentle method of reshaping works best when the cartilage is still soft, which should be in the first four weeks.

2. The Surgical Option for Stahl’s Ears Deformities

If, in the rare case (most often due to delay of application), EarWell does not resolve your child’s Stahl’s ear deformity, surgery is the only other option. An otoplasty (ear-reshaping surgery) is an outpatient procedure performed by a plastic surgeon to reshape the ears.

There are several downsides to ear surgery:

• An otoplasty cannot be done until your child is 5 or 6 years of age. During this time period, your child may be exposed to teasing—even bullying—from other children, leading to psychological problems that may not go away even after ear reshaping.
• Otoplasty is surgery, which includes anesthesia, sutures, dressings and discomfort. There is also the risk (as with all surgical procedures) of infection.
• Most children do not deal well with pain and dressings post-surgery.
• Recovery time is needed after ear surgery, generally 1-2 weeks.
• An otoplasty is considered an elective plastic surgery procedure and is almost never covered by health insurance. EarWell has been covered by almost all health insurance providers since its inception.

The Importance of Early Stahl’s Ear Treatment

All of us want to be liked and accepted by our peers, and children are no different. When a child has an obvious physical flaw, like a Stahl’s ear deformity, they are more likely to be rejected by other kids who may tease them, since the shape of the ear doesn't match those of the other children in their group.

Having to deal with rude words or stares isn't the only effect of a physical difference. Living with a visible physical difference can have a big impact on a child's mental health and sense of self-worth. Kids in school become more aware of how they are different as they spend more time with friends who might not understand or accept these differences. According to studies, the number of teasing incidents rises greatly after age 7. At first look, the comments might not seem harmful, but over time, they could hurt your child’s sense of self-worth.

Considering the information shared above, why wouldn’t you opt for EarWell, a painless, nonsurgical and early resolution to Stahl’s ears deformity, performed long before your baby is teased by others due to his or her odd-looking pointy ears?

Seeking Treatment for Stahl’s Ears Deformity

If you suspect your child may have a Stahl’s ears deformity, the first step is to contact one of our EarWell physicians. Click the link to your left and follow the prompts to find a specially trained EarWell provider. If you have any difficulties, just click this link to contact us. Alternatively, you can call us at 630-357-7374.

EarWell resolution to your child’s external ear deformity, whether Stahl’s ears or another external ear deformity, will provide a sense of normalcy and self-esteem to your child.