What Is Cauliflower Ear?
Cauliflower ear is also known as perichondrial hematoma or wrestler's ear.
Have you ever noticed something different about the ear of a wrestler? The outer ear (pinna) in many of them resembles the cauliflower, hence the name wrestler’s ear.
Cauliflower ear is a result of trauma, and this results in the pooling of blood or other fluids. This collection of blood or fluid will lead to deprivation of the tissues in the ear of nutrients resulting in its death and the formation of fibrous tissue in the overlying skin. As a result, the outer ear becomes swollen and deformed, resembling cauliflower.
What Causes Cauliflower Ear?
Any blunt trauma to the ear from contact sports can result in the tearing of blood vessels. This will lead to the pooling of blood between the cartilage and the perichondrium (which is the connective tissue that surrounds the cartilage). This will cut off the cartilage beneath from getting fresh nutrients. This will result in the death of the tissue, and infection follows, resulting in the formation of new fibrous tissue, giving the ear a cauliflower-like appearance.
Who Is at Risk?
People who play contact sports are at risk of getting cauliflower ear. In these sports, there are chances of getting hit in the head and the ear region with a ball or from the opponents. This is also common among rugby players and people who practice martial arts. Proactive headgears are a must for people who indulge in such sports activities. Other than contact sports, people can get cauliflower ear following an accident causing injury to the head or ear region. Also, this condition can be a result of infection from piercing in the upper part of the outer ear through the cartilage.
What Are the Symptoms?
Following an injury to the ear or hit to the side of the neck, the symptoms will be similar to the symptoms of any injury in the beginning. There will be redness, pain, increased temperature in that area, and mild swelling may start to develop. One should be concerned when you observe swelling in the outer ear. That is when the pooling of blood has begun, which will cut off fresh blood supply to the cartilage.
If cauliflower ear is left is untreated, it may lead to the following:
-
Ringing in your ear.
It is observed that the people with cauliflower ears have hearing loss which might be due to the injury that happened long before. Also, there is an increased chance of infection in such patients.
What Is the Treatment?
-
Initial Treatment: Keep ice at the site of injury immediately. This will reduce the collection of blood at the site of injury and thus can reduce the chance of developing cauliflower ear. Apply ice at the injury site at regular intervals for some time. Also, seek medical help immediately.
-
Drainage and Compression: Post-trauma, the medical practitioner might advise for incision and drainage. In this procedure, an incision is made at the site of the injury so that the blood collected can drain through the incision made.
Following this, a compression dressing will be given to your ear to ensure that the ear attains a normal shape after healing. Also, antibiotics will be prescribed in order to prevent infection at the site of the incision. Try to avoid contact sports until the ear is completely healed to avoid any more trauma to the ear. Also, take advice from the doctor as to when you can resume your activities again. This condition can recur, so observe for any swelling even after the incision and drainage procedure.
-
Surgery: The cauliflower ear is a permanent condition, but you can treat this by opting for correcting surgery. In this surgery, they put an incision behind the ear to expose the cartilage of the ear. Some of the cartilage that is not necessary or is responsible for the irregular shape of the external ear is then surgically removed. Hence, the deformed ear is now reshaped to look normal. This is an aesthetic correction surgery that will depend on the patient if they want to get it done or not. This surgery is done under anesthesia.
How Can You Prevent It?
-
Prevention is always better than cure. To avoid trauma, one cannot stand back from playing their favorite sport; instead, use protective equipment while playing sports which can indeed cause some injury.
-
Cauliflower ear can happen by getting an injury while wrestling. Also, other sports like boxing, mixed martial arts (MMA), and water polo are also causative factors for this condition.
-
Using protective headgear is a must while playing contact sports. Especially for children, parents or the coach should make sure that they use headgear. Also, getting headgear of proper fit is crucial because too loose fit headgear can slip away; too tight fit can damage the ear while removing and placing the headgear.
-
Make sure that the coach and your child know the first symptoms of cauliflower ear and the importance of seeking medical attention immediately post-trauma.
-
The use of blood thinners can make you more prone to developing cauliflower ear post-trauma. So, contact a medical professional if you are using medical thinners before indulging in contact sports.
Conclusion
Cauliflower ear is a deformity of the ear caused due to injury. So in order to prevent this condition, take precautions while playing sports that can cause trauma. In case you get injured, take appropriate steps immediately and consult a doctor if necessary. In case intervention is needed, the treatment might be to remove the pooled blood by drainage and compression. When permanent damage has occurred, it can be reversed by undergoing corrective surgery.
