INTERNAL AUDITORY MEATUS SKIN

And although these malformations don’t necessarily run in the family, when both ears are affected, a family history is more likely.Ī preauricular pit may go unnoticed at birth. Boys and girls are equally affected by outer ear malformations. They are considered a common congenital defect, even if the occurrence rate sounds low. All such malformations of the outer ear, when taken together, occur in less than 1 percent of otherwise healthy babies.

INTERNAL AUDITORY MEATUS SKIN

A branchial cleft cyst, which may appear as a small opening, skin tag, or dimpling on the side of the neck can become infected and drain fluid. On the other hand, preauricular pits are less serious than-and must be differentiated from – a branchial cleft cyst. Tags pose only a cosmetic problem and not a risk of infection like pits do. Preauricular pits are different from preauricular tags, which are fleshy knobs of skin in front of the ears without an attached sinus tract. Otherwise, if the pit poses no chronic problems, it may be left alone. When a child gets repeat infections, a surgeon may recommend complete removal of the pit. The main problem with preauricular pits, if they appear in an otherwise healthy child, is that they can lead to benign cysts or infections, including small pus-filled masses known as abscesses. A baby born with a preauricular pit will be examined for other abnormalities to rule out these syndromes. However, the malformation is not associated with hearing impairments, and only rarely associated with a genetic syndrome involving other problems. Preauricular pits are congenital, meaning children are born with this malformation when ear development goes awry early in gestation. It’s more common for only one ear to have a preauricular pit. In atypical cases, the opening appears below the ear canal, closer to the lobe.Ī pit’s tract running underneath the skin can be either short or long and convoluted, with extensive branching. A pit is essentially a sinus tract traveling under the skin that doesn’t belong there it’s marked by a tiny opening to the tract, right in front of the ear and above the ear canal. Preauricular pits are also known as preauricular cysts, fissures, or sinuses.

Internal auditory meatus