Post-stapedotomy granulomatous reaction.

Since the advent of stapedotomy and its use in the treatment of otosclerosis, a few complications have been reported in the literature. Among them, the granulomatous reaction, described by Harris and Weiss in 1962, is rare. It is an excessive inflammation that forms granulation tissue around the prosthesis and the oval windows. Although the etiology is uncertain, several authors believe that the main cause is a foreign body reaction to the material used in filling the oval windows. The post-stapedotomy incidence is 0.07% and the post-stapedectomy incidence is 0.1%; it generally manifests after surgery as sensorineural dysacusis and vertigo. It may be confirmed by exploratory tympanotomy to visualize granulation tissue around the prosthesis and the oval window in a symptomatic patient.