Bony Deposits in the Auricle

Abstract

Reports of ossification of the auricular cartilage are infrequent.1 I report herein four additional cases.All the patients were elderly men. The general physical examinations revealed nothing except myocarditis in case 2. The patient in case 4 had had syphilis A, roentgenogram of the left ear of patient 1 ; the bone apparently developed from several centers of calcification. A roentgenogram of the right ear showed no bone. B, roentgenogram of the helix of the left ear of patient 2. C, roentgenograms of the ears of patient 3, showing thickened cartilage in the antihelix and the lower scaphoid fossa of each ear; this was of bony hardness. There was a tiny piece of bone in the helix of one ear, and several small pieces of bone were present in the concha of the other. D, roentgenograms of the helix of both ears of patient 4.

Auricular ossification in a patient with congenital anterior pituitary hypoplasia

“…The most common etiologies of auricular cartilage hardening are local trauma, frostbite, and inflammation [1][2][3]. The metabolic disorders that have been reported to be associated with it are ochronosis [4], acromegaly [5], hypercalcemia [6], and adrenal insufficiency [1].…”

Calcification of Auricular Cartilage

“…6,7 Only 114 cases, which were proved by roentgenographic or biopsy studies, have been found in the literature.\s=d\ Scherrer 1 examined 800 patients clinically for hardness or immobility of the auricle but did not uncover a single case.…”