Skin reactions caused by bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) implantation

OBJECTIVE: To report a case of intractable skin reactions caused by bone-anchored hearing aid (BAHA) implantation to improve our understanding and treatment of BAHA implantation-caused skin reactions. METHODS: We reported a case of severe skin reactions caused by BAHA implantation. Related literature were also reviewed. RESULTS: We found grade IV skin reactions, including hyperplasia around the implant, which led to the removal of the BAHA implant 10 months after implantation. The findings indicated poor skin hygiene, allergy to titanium and inadequate surgicals skills as the possible causes of the skin reaction. CONCLUSION: Skin adverse reactions, usually rare in BAHA implantation patients, may cause implant removal and implantation failure. We suggest to further investigate the mechanisms underlying titanium allergy.