What is the small hole on the top of my ear?
What is the small hole on the top of my ear?
What is the small hole on the top of my ear?
A preauricular pit is a small hole or cyst just in front of your ear above your ear canal. This hole marks a sinus tract under the skin that’s in the wrong place. These tracts can vary in size.
Why do I have an extra hole in my ear?
What causes this hole? A preauricular pit is a small hole in front of the ear, toward the face, that some people are born with. This hole is connected to an unusual sinus tract under the skin. This tract is a narrow passageway under the skin that can cause infection.
How do you treat preauricular sinusitis?
Preauricular sinus may occur sporadically during the development of an embryo or it may be inherited in an autosomal dominant manner with reduced penetrance . Less often, it occurs as a feature of another condition or syndrome . Treatment may include antibiotics for infection and/or surgery to remove the sinus.
Are ear pits rare?
A preauricular sinus is a common congenital malformation characterized by a nodule, dent or dimple located anywhere adjacent to the external ear. Frequency of preauricular sinus differs depending the population: 0.1–0.9% in the US, 0.9% in the UK, and 4–10% in Asia and parts of Africa.
Can you get rid of a preauricular pit?
Treatment or removal of a preauricular pit is not necessary unless an infection develops. When this happens, the infection requires immediate treatment with antibiotics. Recurrent infections may require the surgical removal of the pit and connecting tract.
How common is Preauricular pits?
According to research by the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), preauricular skin lesions, including pits and tags, affect between five and 10 babies in every 1,000 live births. In general, these holes are minor irregularities that do not cause serious complications.
How common is preauricular sinus?
Is preauricular sinus surgery painful?
NORMAL POST OP COURSE: Usually mild to moderate pain and swelling at the surgical site for 3-4 days after surgery. Protect the incision site from excessive rubbing or friction. Avoid from submerging in standing water, like swimming pools, tub bathing, or hot tubs until sutures have been removed.
What causes a preauricular pit?
Preauricular pits form during development in the uterus. They likely result from imperfect fusion of the auricle, which is the visible part of the ear. The auricle forms during the sixth week of gestation. The pits may be inherited, which means that they can run in families.