Preoperative (panel A) and intraoperative (panel B) otoscopic views of a patient with congenital fixation of the malleus. The preoperative image (panel A) shows the malleus bar defect, in which the malformed malleus (M) fused to ear canal (arrow). The intraoperative image (panel B) demonstrates surgical correction of the malleus bar defect, in which the tympanic membrane is reflected to expose the defect. Abnormal bone is drilled away to free the ossicular chain.
