Cutaneous and cartilaginous lesions of the auricle

Pathology of the ear

The external ear is exposed to weathering and trauma; it also has sparse vascularity, making it prone to infection and disease. The external location of the cutaneous ear makes it easily visible for diagnosis and accessible for treatment. In this article, the authors focus on diseases of the ear that are most commonly encountered and may be subject to surgical and medical evaluation and/or treatment. Epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical course, and treatment for each disease entity are discussed.

Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Auricle Arising from Keloid after Radium Neddle Therapy

The squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the auricle was one of the common tumors of not only skin but also ear. SCC of the auricle was described to be the carcinoma of old age with some predisposing factors and keloid was known to be one of the predisposing factors for malignant tumors. Keloid and radium needle therapy were risk factors, latter the major, independently from each other and were reported to conclude in SCC depending on the duration for the keloid and the dose for the radium needle therapy. The increased age with the long duration of these predisposing factors should have to be kept in mind in every situation when these treatment modalities had been planned to. Surgical interventions should always be the first choice in the treatment of not only the carcinomas but also in keloids in selected cases.

Combined Therapy in the Treatment of Auricular Keloids

Management of earlobe keloids is still controversial. Many different treatment modalities have been employed; however, no single approach has been completely successful. We used combination therapy that included compression therapy, laser excision, and serial steroid injection, which has improved our therapeutic outcomes for earlobe keloids.

Interventions for acute auricular haematoma

BACKGROUND

Acute haematoma of the pinna is a condition where a collection of blood forms beneath the perichondrial layer of the pinna. It is usually caused by blunt trauma, and if untreated will ultimately result in a deformity commonly known as 'cauliflower ear' or 'wrestler's ear'. Various treatments are employed to relieve the haematoma but no clear consensus exists on the best way to do so in order to produce the best cosmetic result with the least permanent deformity.

OBJECTIVES

To assess the effectiveness of treatment options in acute auricular haematoma.

SEARCH STRATEGY

We searched the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (Cochrane Library Issue 2, 2003), MEDLINE (1966 - 2003) and EMBASE (1966 - 2003) with pre-specified terms. The date of the last search was April 2003.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials, case controlled trials and cohort studies including children and adults undergoing any intervention for acute auricular haematoma.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Fifty-nine references were identified from the searches. Forty-eight were retrieved and assessed for eligibility by the authors. None met the inclusion criteria.

MAIN RESULTS

Due to the lack of data from trials fulfilling selection criteria no results could be presented.

REVIEWERS' CONCLUSIONS

There is no clearly defined best treatment for acute auricular haematoma. There are no good quality data to determine either the optimal management strategy or even whether post-drainage intervention (such as splinting or bandaging) is necessary. Further research is required before any specific treatment may be recommended.