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Spatial hearing after auricular resection for non-melanoma skin Cancer.

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Title: Spatial hearing after auricular resection for non-melanoma skin Cancer.
Authors: Frosolini A; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy., Benedetti S; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy; Department of Maxillo Facial Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy., Massarelli O; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy., El Saadi A; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy; Department of Maxillo Facial Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy., Giannoni B; Unit of Audiology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug's Area, and Child's Health, University of Florence, 50134, Florence, Italy., Franz L; Phoniatrics and Audiology Unit, Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, 31100, Treviso, Italy., Marioni G; Phoniatrics and Audiology Unit, Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, 31100, Treviso, Italy. Electronic address: gino.marioni@unipd.it., Spinelli G; Department of Maxillo Facial Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy., Gennaro P; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy.
Source: American journal of otolaryngology [Am J Otolaryngol] 2026 Sep-Oct; Vol. 47 (5), pp. 104902. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 29.
Publication Type: Journal Article
Language: English
Journal Info: Publisher: Saunders Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8000029 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1532-818X (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 01960709 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Am J Otolaryngol Subsets: MEDLINE
Imprint Name(s): Original Publication: Cherry Hill, N. J., Saunders.
MeSH Terms: Non-Melanoma Skin Neoplasms*/surgery , Ear Auricle*/surgery , Plastic Surgery Procedures*/methods , Hearing Loss*/etiology , Sound Localization*, Humans ; Female ; Male ; Aged ; Audiometry, Pure-Tone ; Aged, 80 and over ; Auditory Acuity ; Treatment Outcome
Abstract: Objective: To explore spatial hearing outcomes in patients undergoing auricular resection and reconstruction for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) of the external ear.
Study Design: Consecutive case series.
Methods: Twenty-three patients treated surgically for NMSC of the auricle between December 2023 and January 2026 were evaluated. Postoperative functional assessment included pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and the 12-item Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ-12). Associations between spatial hearing performance and demographic, clinical, and surgical variables were analyzed using Spearman correlation and nonparametric group comparisons.
Results: The mean age was 77.0 ± 9.2 years. Mean bilateral PTA was 40.2 ± 9.7 dB HL, consistent with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The mean SSQ-12 total score was 3.9 ± 1.6, indicating mild-to-moderate self-reported spatial hearing difficulty. SSQ-12 total score demonstrated a strong correlation with PTA (ρ = -0.767, p < 0.001), whereas no significant association was observed with age, lesion size, or surgical duration. Comparison between patients undergoing reconstruction and those managed by primary/secondary intention revealed no significant difference in overall SSQ-12 scores.
Conclusions: In this exploratory series, spatial hearing outcomes following auricular resection for NMSC were primarily associated with baseline auditory thresholds rather than lesion size or reconstructive strategy. While restoration of auricular morphology did not significantly affect global spatial hearing scores, task-dependent differences in challenging listening environments suggest a potential functional role of restoring auricular contour. These preliminary findings highlight the need to integrate functional hearing considerations into auricular oncologic surgery and support further prospective studies incorporating objective localization measures.
(Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
Contributed Indexing: Keywords: Auricular reconstruction; Head and neck oncology; Hearing-aid retention; Non-melanoma skin cancer; Sound localization; Spatial hearing; Speech, spatial and qualities of hearing scale (SSQ-12)
Entry Date(s): Date Created: 20260804 Date Completed: 20260921 Latest Revision: 20260921
Update Code: 20260922
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2026.104902
PMID: 42551376
Database: MEDLINE
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  Data: Spatial hearing after auricular resection for non-melanoma skin Cancer.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Frosolini+A%22&quot;&gt;Frosolini A&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Benedetti+S%22&quot;&gt;Benedetti S&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy; Department of Maxillo Facial Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Massarelli+O%22&quot;&gt;Massarelli O&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22El+Saadi+A%22&quot;&gt;El Saadi A&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy; Department of Maxillo Facial Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Giannoni+B%22&quot;&gt;Giannoni B&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Unit of Audiology, Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug&#39;s Area, and Child&#39;s Health, University of Florence, 50134, Florence, Italy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Franz+L%22&quot;&gt;Franz L&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Phoniatrics and Audiology Unit, Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, 31100, Treviso, Italy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Marioni+G%22&quot;&gt;Marioni G&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Phoniatrics and Audiology Unit, Department of Neuroscience DNS, University of Padova, 31100, Treviso, Italy. Electronic address: gino.marioni@unipd.it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Spinelli+G%22&quot;&gt;Spinelli G&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Department of Maxillo Facial Surgery, Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria Careggi, Florence, Italy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;AU&quot; term=&quot;%22Gennaro+P%22&quot;&gt;Gennaro P&lt;/searchLink&gt;; Maxillofacial Surgery Unit, Department of Medical Biotechnologies, University of Siena, Italy.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;JN&quot; term=&quot;%228000029%22&quot;&gt;American journal of otolaryngology&lt;/searchLink&gt; [Am J Otolaryngol] 2026 Sep-Oct; Vol. 47 (5), pp. 104902. &lt;i&gt;Date of Electronic Publication: &lt;/i&gt;2026 Jul 29.
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  Data: &lt;i&gt;Original Publication&lt;/i&gt;: Cherry Hill, N. J., Saunders.
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  Data: &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Non-Melanoma+Skin+Neoplasms%22&quot;&gt;Non-Melanoma Skin Neoplasms*&lt;/searchLink&gt;/&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Non-Melanoma+Skin+Neoplasms+surgery%22&quot;&gt;surgery&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Ear+Auricle%22&quot;&gt;Ear Auricle*&lt;/searchLink&gt;/&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Ear+Auricle+surgery%22&quot;&gt;surgery&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Plastic+Surgery+Procedures%22&quot;&gt;Plastic Surgery Procedures*&lt;/searchLink&gt;/&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Plastic+Surgery+Procedures+methods%22&quot;&gt;methods&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Hearing+Loss%22&quot;&gt;Hearing Loss*&lt;/searchLink&gt;/&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Hearing+Loss+etiology%22&quot;&gt;etiology&lt;/searchLink&gt; &lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MM&quot; term=&quot;%22Sound+Localization%22&quot;&gt;Sound Localization*&lt;/searchLink&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Humans%22&quot;&gt;Humans&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Female%22&quot;&gt;Female&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Male%22&quot;&gt;Male&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Aged%22&quot;&gt;Aged&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Audiometry%2C+Pure-Tone%22&quot;&gt;Audiometry, Pure-Tone&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Aged%2C+80+and+over%22&quot;&gt;Aged, 80 and over&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Auditory+Acuity%22&quot;&gt;Auditory Acuity&lt;/searchLink&gt; ; &lt;searchLink fieldCode=&quot;MH&quot; term=&quot;%22Treatment+Outcome%22&quot;&gt;Treatment Outcome&lt;/searchLink&gt;
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Abstract
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  Data: Objective: To explore spatial hearing outcomes in patients undergoing auricular resection and reconstruction for non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) of the external ear.&lt;br /&gt;Study Design: Consecutive case series.&lt;br /&gt;Methods: Twenty-three patients treated surgically for NMSC of the auricle between December 2023 and January 2026 were evaluated. Postoperative functional assessment included pure-tone audiometry (PTA) and the 12-item Speech, Spatial and Qualities of Hearing Scale (SSQ-12). Associations between spatial hearing performance and demographic, clinical, and surgical variables were analyzed using Spearman correlation and nonparametric group comparisons.&lt;br /&gt;Results: The mean age was 77.0&#160;&#177;&#160;9.2&#160;years. Mean bilateral PTA was 40.2&#160;&#177;&#160;9.7&#160;dB HL, consistent with mild-to-moderate hearing loss. The mean SSQ-12 total score was 3.9&#160;&#177;&#160;1.6, indicating mild-to-moderate self-reported spatial hearing difficulty. SSQ-12 total score demonstrated a strong correlation with PTA (ρ&#160;=&#160;-0.767, p&#160;&amp;lt;&#160;0.001), whereas no significant association was observed with age, lesion size, or surgical duration. Comparison between patients undergoing reconstruction and those managed by primary/secondary intention revealed no significant difference in overall SSQ-12 scores.&lt;br /&gt;Conclusions: In this exploratory series, spatial hearing outcomes following auricular resection for NMSC were primarily associated with baseline auditory thresholds rather than lesion size or reconstructive strategy. While restoration of auricular morphology did not significantly affect global spatial hearing scores, task-dependent differences in challenging listening environments suggest a potential functional role of restoring auricular contour. These preliminary findings highlight the need to integrate functional hearing considerations into auricular oncologic surgery and support further prospective studies incorporating objective localization measures.&lt;br /&gt; (Copyright &#169; 2026 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
– Name: Abstract
  Label: Competing Interests
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  Data: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
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  Label: Contributed Indexing
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  Data: &lt;i&gt;Keywords: &lt;/i&gt;Auricular reconstruction; Head and neck oncology; Hearing-aid retention; Non-melanoma skin cancer; Sound localization; Spatial hearing; Speech, spatial and qualities of hearing scale (SSQ-12)
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  Data: &lt;i&gt;Date Created: &lt;/i&gt;20260804 &lt;i&gt;Date Completed: &lt;/i&gt;20260921 &lt;i&gt;Latest Revision: &lt;/i&gt;20260921
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        StartPage: 104902
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        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Female
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