Surgically confirmed clinical otosclerosis among the Chinese.

We report herein on 163 cases of surgically confirmed otosclerosis among Chinese. Our results suggest significant racial differences between Chinese and whites in respect to the incidence of this disease, and the likelihood of a family history. Surgical and histopathological findings, while confirming otosclerosis identical to that experienced in whites, suggest that generally the disease is milder among Chinese. The sex ratio, age range, and bilateral involvement, on the other hand, were discovered to be basically similar between the two races. A detailed description is given of the postauricular surgical technique used, and it is argued that it may be more suitable in cases where there is a small ear canal, since the results achieved (80% success rate) are comparable with other reports.