Cauliflower ear is an acquired outer ear deformity that may have an appearance of a shriveled up fold or lump in the ear that results from an injury. The fold or lump usually has a pale, or white appearance to it which is what gives it its name of Cauliflower Ear.
Finding someone born with the disorder is rare, most people who acquire Cauliflower ear do so by repeated blows to the side of their head where the ear is. The condition is usually referred to as Wrestlers or Boxers ear because those are usually the people who develop the condition. Martial artists who receive a kick or punch to the ear can also get it, as can victims of abuse or someone is a severe car accident.
When your ear is hit in a violent way that results in severe pain a blood clot forms in the area under the skin affecting the connection to the cartilage. In rare cases a person getting a cartilage piercing can experience Cauliflower ear.
Since the ear is very vulnerable to any type of blunt trauma or infection, even a small hit is enough to cause the ear to deform or make a lump. The cartilage in your ear does not have any type of blood supply except the blood supplied by the overlying outer skin. When the skin is pulled away from the cartilage by a hematoma or infection the area of the ear is deprived of blood and other important nutrients that keep the ear stable.
When left untreated the cartilage begins to die and deform into Cauliflower ear. Once the cartilage dies and scars reconstructing the ear and removing the lump becomes difficult. The ear will appear pale due to a lack of blood flow in that area, and while there are options for cosmetic surgery, usually a person with Cauliflower ear is left with a permanent disfigurement.
Even if you have Cauliflower ear and you do not care about the appearance of the deformity it is best to have the lump treated by a medical professional. Hearing loss can result if the Cauliflower ear is left alone.
The main goal of any medical professional treating Cauliflower ear is to drain the blood build up in the area of the hematoma or infection immediately and reestablish a connection between the skin and the cartilage.
Usually a Doctor will drain the blood through an incision in the wound on the ear. After the Doctor will usually use a dressing to put pressure on the wounded area to try and get the skin and cartilage to fuse back together again over a period of time, like putting a cast on a broken bone and waiting for it to fuse together again.
What is the Long Term Prognosis for Someone With Cauliflower Ear?
If the wound is treated immediately after the injury you can prevent the lump from forming or becoming bigger than it already is. If the lump has already started to form it will need to be treated aggressively to prevent permanent disfigurement.
If there is a delay in treatment or diagnosis this may lead to a longer wait time for any recovery from the condition, if any. Delaying treatment results in a longer amount of time the blood has to not flow to the cartilage which gives it more of a chance to die.
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