The surgical treatment of atelectatic ears and retraction pockets in children and adults.

Eighty-four ears which underwent tympanoplasty because of an atelectasis of the tympanic membrane were followed up. Thirty-six involved children (4-13 years old). On the average, 50-55 months of postoperative follow-up showed that atelectasis, once operated, shared the same pattern and prognosis in the children as in the adults.