Incision and Drainage with Daily Irrigation for the Treatment of Auricular Pseudocyst

Abstract

Introduction Pseudocyst of the pinna is a rare condition that occurs when fluid accumulates in the intercartilagenous space of the auricle. The main goal when treating this condition is to keep acceptable cosmetic results with no recurrence rate. Objective To demonstrate the superior impact of incision and drainage of auricular pseudocysts with the insertion of a catheter drain and daily irrigation as the treatment of this condition. Methods A total of 42 patients with auricular pseudocysts were enrolled in the present study in the period between May 2011 and May 2017. All of the patients were treated with incision and drainage with compression. The average follow-up time reached ∼ 6 months in all of the cases. Results All of the patients had satisfactory cosmetic results with no recurrence and no complications. Conclusion Among the different methods of surgical treatment of pseudocyst of the pinna, incision and drainage with daily irrigation is a significantly efficient method both for the eradication of auricular pseudocysts and for good cosmetic results.

Auricular pseudocysts: a systematic review of the literature

“…The auricular cartilage dysplasia leads to the formation of potential spaces within the cartilage, resulting in late fluid accumulation and pseudocyst emergence 4,6,7 . This is also true for traumas and even microtraumas that can lead to fragmentation of the auricular cartilage followed by pseudocyst formation 3,5,26 …”

“…The main issue is that the impact of traumatic events is underestimated as patients tend to recall only major painful traumas and omit minor repetitive pressures due to hard pillows, helmets, earphones, stethoscopes, and ear rubbing 3,5,26 …”

“…The effect of microtrauma can be further emphasized considering the fact that lesions mainly occurred on the right side, especially that most patients tend to sleep more on their right dominant side 3 …”

“…The term pseudocyst was first attributed to this lesion by Engel in 1966 due to the lack of an epithelial lining. Other synonyms for this condition are auricular seroma, endochondral auricular pseudocyst, cystic chondromalacia, and benign idiopathic cystic chondromalacia 1‐3 …”

“…Auricular pseudocysts can occur spontaneously, but most authors agree on preceding trauma as a major inciting event for separating tissue planes within the cartilage, followed by fluid accumulation within that space 3 …”