Surgical repair of cauliflower ear deformity by anterior approach: Report of three cases

ABSTRACT

The cauliflower ear or wrestler's ear is the ultimate deformity of the ear following otohaematoma due to repeated high intensity trauma to the auricle. If the haematoma is not treated by early proper evaluation, the damaged perichondrium will alllow the growth of an "ectopic" fibrous cartilage responsible for the disfigurement. It constitutes a real cosmetic and therapeutic dilemma for the patient and the clinician especially if the deformity was left untreated for a long time, as technical difficulties will be encountered for excision of the thickened cartilage and for ensuring a satisfactory esthetic outcome. Three adult patients from Qatar with long-standing cauliflower ears were successfully corrected in 2002 by a single stage operation using the anterior approach. The deformed cartilage was shaved under a raised cutaneous flap and the concha was re-sculptured. The procedure gave satisfactory results. The pathogenesis, adopted surgical technique, post-operative care and histopathology are discussed together with a review of the literature