Ultrasonography in babies with isolated preauricular tags
| Citation | Study group | Study type (level of evidence) | Outcome | Key result | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kugelman et al (2002) | Study group: 92 infants born with isolated preauricular tags or pits underwent renal ultra sonogram at 1–3 mth of age | Case control study (level 3b) | Urinary tract anomalies detected on ultra sonogram | 2/92 (2.2%: 95% CI 0.2% to 7%) of study group had renal abnormalities | The age disparity at time of examination between cases and controls might be a source of bias |
| Control group: 95 consecutive healthy infants who underwent renal ultrasonography on 2nd day of life | 4/95 (4.2%: 95% CI 1.1% to 10%) of control group had renal abnormalities. (p = 1.0) | ||||
| Kohelet et al (2000) | Study group: 70 infants with isolated preauricular tags underwent renal ultrasonography on day 3–4 of life | Case control study (level 3b) | Urinary tract anomalies detected on ultra sonogram which were further investigated by voiding cystography and radionuclide scintigraphy (where necessary) | 6/70 (8.6%: 95% CI 2.2% to 12.4%) of study group had abnormalities | The study included only preauricular tags. There were no cases of renal malformation in the control group which is less than that of normal population. Also the study was not of sufficient power to make a firm conclusion |
| Control group: 69 infants without preauricular tags underwent urinary tract ultrasonography after day 5 as part of investigation for persistent regurgitation associated with cyanotic spells | None (95% CI 0% to 3.6%) in control group had abnormalities. (p<0.02) | ||||
| Mishra et al (2003) | Study group: 34 children with isolated preauricular tag | Case control study (level 3b) | Urinary tract anomalies detected on ultra sonogram | 3/34 (9%: 95% CI 0.6% to 8%) of study group had urinary tract abnormalities | The study included only preauricular tags. There were no cases of renal malformation in the control group which is less than that of normal population. The sample size was small and the study was not of sufficient power to make a firm conclusion |
| Control group: 34 children who underwent abdominal ultrasound for non-renal problems | None in control group had urinary tract abnormalities (95% CI 0% to 3.5%). p<0.05 | ||||
| Alexander et al (1992) | 69 children preauricular sinus (2 with associated anomalies and 67 isolated) who were seen in ambulatory care paediatric clinic for problems unrelated to preauricular sinus or kidneys underwent renal ultrasonography | Case series (level 4) | Urinary tract anomalies detected on ultra sonogram who subsequently underwent voiding cystouretherogram | Overall 3/69 had significant abnormalities Only 1/67 (1.5%) of children with isolated sinus had an anomaly | The study only looked at preauricular sinuses and did not include tags. Also there were no controls |
| Kugelman et al (1997) | 26 infants with preauricular tags (24) and pits (2). 24 had renal ultrasonography on day 3 of life | Case series (level 4) | Urinary tract anomalies detected on ultra sonogram) | No malformations found | Small sample size and no controls |
| Hudgins et al (1992) | Retrospective analysis of all paediatric ultrasounds over 2 year period and review of their medical records. 30 were for children with isolated ear abnormalities—microtia, pits, tags, and minor structural abnormalities | Case series (level 4) | Urinary tract anomalies detected on ultra sonogram | None of the 30 children with isolated ear abnormalities had abnormal renal ultrasounds | Small sample size and no controls |