Atheroma behind ear

The entire area of the auricle includes a lot of sebaceous glands, they are also in the behind-the-ear zone, in which lipomas, papillomas, fibromas, including atheroma behind the ear, can form.

In the ear area, the auricle, subcutaneous fatty tumors can form, almost all of them are characterized by slow growth and benign course.

Statistically, the tumor in the behind-the-ear zone is diagnosed in only 0.2% of cases of the total number of benign neoplasms in the face area. Much more common cysts and tumors of the auricle, especially its lobes. This is due to the structure of the ear, which mainly consists of cartilaginous tissue, the fatty layer is only in the lobe that does not contain cartilage.

[1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6],

The causes of atheroma behind the ear

It is believed that the main causes of the appearance of atheroma as an obstruction of the sebaceous duct leading out of the duct are in the violation of metabolism or hormonal failures. Indeed, the accumulation of secretion glands of external secretion (glandulae sebacea) can be triggered by excessive production of hormones, but there are also other factors. For example, the causes of atheroma behind the ear may be: •

• Increased sweating due to disruption of the autonomic nervous system, which regulates excretory systems and can provoke the dysfunction of internal organs.
• Seborrhea, including the scalp.
• Acne - simple, phlegmous, more often in the upper zone of the neck.
• Incorrect piercing, puncture of the ears and compensatory redistribution of the sebaceous secret from the damaged and scarred sebaceous glands.
• Diabetes.
• Endocrine diseases.
• Injury of the head with damage to the skin in the ear (scar formation).
• Specific fatty type of skin.
• Excessive production of testosterone.
• Overcooling or prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.
• Violation of the rules of personal hygiene.

In general, the causes of atheroma, including that formed behind the ear, are due to the narrowing of the sebaceous gland duct, the change in the consistency of the sebaceous secret, which becomes denser, and the obturation of the resulting tapering end. At the occlusion site, a cystic cavity is formed, in which detritus accumulates slowly but steadily (epithelial cells, cholesterol crystals, keratinized particles, fat), so the atheroma increases and becomes visible to the naked eye, that is, begins to manifest itself clinically.

Symptoms of an atheroma behind the ear

Atheroma, regardless of location, in the first few months develops asymptomatically, that is not accompanied by pain or other discomfort. Symptoms of the atheroma behind the ear are also not specific, the retentive neoplasm grows very slowly, the passage of the sebaceous gland remains open for some time and some of the fat secretion is excreted onto the skin, outward. Gradually accumulating detritus changes its consistency, becomes thicker, more viscous, it closes the gland itself, and then its exit.

Symptoms of an atheroma behind the ear can be as follows: 

• The tumor is round in shape and small in size.
• The cyst is well probed under the skin as an elastic, rather dense formation, generally not welded to the skin.
• Atheroma has a capsule and a mushy secret inside (detritus).
• Retinal cyst of the sebaceous gland is prone to inflammation and suppuration.
• A characteristic distinctive feature in which atheroma is distinguished from the lipoma is a partial adhesion to the skin in the zone of enlarged cyst cavity and the presence of a small, barely noticeable output in the form of a dark point (in the case of purulent inflammation, a white, convex point).
• Because of the partial, spotted adhesion, the skin over the cyst can not be folded when palpated.
• An increasing atheroma behind the ear can be accompanied by itching, burning sensation.
• Purulent atheroma manifests as typical symptoms of a hypodermic abscess - reddened skin over the cyst, local fever, pain.
• The suppurated atheroma is prone to spontaneous dissection when the pus is exiting, but the main part of the cyst remains inside and is again filled with detritus.
• Inflamed atheroma can be accompanied by a secondary infection, when the symptoms become more pronounced - fever, headache, fatigue, weakness, nausea.

Despite the fact that the symptoms of the atheroma behind the ear are non-specific and manifest only in the case of a sharp increase in the subcutaneous cyst, the tumor can be seen when performing hygienic procedures (washing). Any seal that is untypical for the ear zone, a "ball" or a "grease" should be shown to the dermatologist, a beautician to determine the nature of the neoplasm and the choice of the method of its treatment.

Atheroma behind the child's ear

Atheroma in a child can be an innate neoplasm, which most often has a benign character. Also, often, sebaceous cysts are confused with lipomas, subcutaneous boils, dermoid cysts or enlarged lymph nodes.

The appearance of true atheromas in children is associated with increased production of the sebaceous secret, which is normalized to 5-6 years, then in the pubertal period, repeated hypersecretion of the sebaceous glands is possible, when detritus accumulates in the ducts (cholesterol crystals, fat). Less often the cause of atheroma formation behind the ear in a child can serve as an elementary poor care in a hygienic sense. And very rarely provoking factor is an attempt to "make a haircut" by yourself, that is an inept haircut with damage to the hair follicles.

Atheroma behind the ear, both in a child and an adult, is not manifested by pain or other uncomfortable sensations, except for cases of inflammation and suppuration. Then the cyst looks like an abscess, often very large. The abscess can open out, but the atheroma capsule remains inside, so the only way to get rid of it can be just an operation.

If the atheroma is small, it is observed until the child reaches 3-4 years old, then the cyst is to be harvested. Children under 7 years old, all surgical procedures of this kind are carried out under general anesthesia, a more adult patient, the cysts are removed under local anesthesia. The operation itself lasts no more than 30-40 minutes and is not considered difficult or dangerous. Moreover, such treatment relieves the child not so much from a cosmetic defect as from the risk of suppuration of atheroma and possible complications from such a process - internal infection of the soft tissues of the head, phlegmon and infection of the ear as a whole. The most effective method is the new method - radio wave "evaporation" of atheroma, in which tissue is not cut, there is no scar left on the skin, this method is considered reliable and in the sense of excluding the slightest chance of recurrence of the cyst, and therefore guarantees the effectiveness of treatment.

[7], [8], [9], [10], [11]

BTE atheroma

Behind atheroma, cyst, as well as other subcutaneous neoplasms, is an extremely rare phenomenon in maxillofacial surgery. This zone is very poor in the fatty layer, so the formation of lipomas, atheromas occur in no more than 0.2% of the total number of benign neoplasms in the head region.

The retention cyst of the sebaceous gland behind the ear can be similar to the adenoma of the salivary gland, which is diagnosed much more often. In any case, in addition to the initial examination and palpation, it is necessary and X-ray, and ultrasound of nearby lymph nodes, perhaps even MRI or CT (computer tomography).

If the doctor assumes that the patient develops a BTE, which has a benign course, the cyst is excised without waiting for inflammation or suppuration. During the operation, the tissue material is necessarily sent to a histology that confirms or refutes the initial diagnosis.

By external signs, it is difficult to distinguish atheroma from the lipoma behind the ear, both neoplasms are painless, have a dense structure and are almost identical in terms of visual symptoms. The only exception can be a barely noticeable point of the escaping duct of the sebaceous gland, especially if its obturation has occurred closer to the skin. More specific is the inflamed BTE atheroma, which is manifested by pain, local increase in temperature. With a large, festering cyst, the overall body temperature may increase and symptomatology typical of subcutaneous abscesses or phlegmon may appear. Purulent atheroma can independently open inside, in the subcutaneous tissue, this condition is extremely dangerous not only for health (pus flow into the internal auditory canal, in the cartilaginous tissue of the shell) of the patient, but sometimes for life, as it threatens with systemic intoxication, sepsis.

Removing the atheroma behind the ear has its difficulties, since there are many large blood vessels and lymph nodes in this zone. Operate the cyst in the so-called "cold period", that is, when the neoplasm has already increased, but not inflamed and has no signs of secondary infection. The removal procedure does not take much time, new medical technologies, such as laser or radio wave excision of tumors, are absolutely painless and allow to avoid rough scarring of the skin and relapses.

[12], [13], [14]

Atheroma of the earlobe

The sebaceous gland cyst can be formed only in a zone rich in glandulae sebaseae - the alveolar glands secreting sebum or the sebaceous, fat secret that protects the skin, giving them elasticity. The ear is almost all composed of cartilaginous tissue and only its lobe has similar internal glands and a subcutaneous fatty layer. Thus, it is in this zone that a retentional neoplasm or atheroma of the ear lobe can develop.

The cyst develops without obvious clinical manifestations, since the ducts of the gland in the lobe are very narrow, and the gland itself does not actively produce sebum. The most common cause of atheroma formation in the earlobe is an unsuccessful puncture or injury of this area (laceration, other injuries). The ear is not a hormone-dependent part of the body, so the usual causes of atheroma (metabolic, pubertal, or menopause) affect its appearance a little.

The causes of atheroma formation: 

• Infection puncture in piercing (poorly treated skin or instruments), inflammation of the sebaceous gland.
• Inflammatory process at the puncture site of the ear lobule, microabscess, which squeezes the outflowing duct of the sebaceous gland.
• Incomplete healing of the puncture site and an increase in granulation cells, tissue compressing the duct of the sebaceous gland.
• A laceration of the lobule with a head injury, a bruise, a keloid scar presses the sebaceous glands, disrupting the normal secretion of the sebace secret.
• Hormonal disorders (rare).
• Heredity (genetic tendency to obturation of sebaceous glands).

Symptoms that a subcutaneous cyst can signal about itself can be as follows: 

1. The appearance of a small seal on the lobe.
2. The cyst does not hurt at all and delivers discomfort, the only thing it can put is an external, cosmetic defect.
3. Atheroma often becomes inflamed, especially in women who wear jewelry on the ear (earrings, clips). Often, a secondary infection is attached to the cyst, the bacteria enter a small hole in the sebaceous gland, which has already been clogged with detritus, resulting in ulcers in the lobe.
4. The subcutaneous cyst in this zone is rarely large, most often its maximum is 40-50 millimeters. Larger cysts are abscesses, which are almost always opened by themselves, with the outflow of purulent contents. Despite the reduction in the size of the atheroma, it remains inside in the form of a devastated capsule, capable of re-accumulating the sebaceous secret and recurring

Treat atheromas always in an operative way, the ear lobes should be removed as soon as possible, small lesions are excised within 10-15 minutes, the entire operation is performed on an outpatient basis. The small scar after the enucleation of the atheroma is almost invisible and can not be considered a cosmetic defect in contrast to a really large, inflamed cyst which, among other things, is prone to suppuration and carries a potential threat of development of the abscess of the earlobe.

[15], [16]

Atheroma of the auditory canal

The external auditory canal of the ear consists of cartilaginous and bone tissue, the skin contains sulfuric and sebaceous glands, therefore atheroma of the auditory canal in patients is diagnosed quite often. This zone is difficult to access for daily hygienic procedures, blockage of the outflow ducts as a sebaceous secret, and secreted cerumen (sulfur). Subcutaneous neoplasms of the auditory canal develop due to the specific localization of the glands. The passage is covered with skin, on which the smallest hairs grow, with which numerous sebaceous glands are closely connected in turn. Under the alveolar glands are located glandula ceruminosa - ceruminoznye ducts, producing sulfur. Some of these glands have ducts connected to the outflowing ducts of glandulae sebaseae (sebaceous glands), so their obturation somehow periodically appears as an inevitable condition of the hearing aid. However, for the formation of a retention cyst, that is atheroma, other factors are also needed, for example: 

• Infectious diseases of the ear, inflammation.
• Injury to ear.
• Endocrine dysfunction.
• Metabolic disorders.
• Disorders of the autonomic nervous system.
• Hormonal disorders.
• Infringements of rules of personal hygiene or a trauma of an acoustical passage at independent attempts to remove a sulfuric stopper.

Diagnosis of atheroma of the external auditory meatus requires differentiation, since other tumoral formations, including those of an inflammatory or poor quality, can be found in this zone. Atheroma should be separated from the following abnormalities of the ear canal: 

• Furuncle.
• Acute otitis media of the external auditory canal (mainly staphylococcal nature).
• Fibroma.
• A tumor of the ceruminoid gland is a ceruminoma or an atenoma.
• Capillary hematoma (angioma).
• Cavernous hemangioma.
• Dermoid cyst (more often in infants).
• Lymphangioma.
• Chondrodermatitis.
• Adenoma of the ear canal.
• Lipoma.
• Mixom.
• Myoma.
• Xanthoma.
• Epidermoid cholesteatoma (keratosis obturans).

Diagnosis, except for the collection of anamnesis and primary examination, may include such methods:

• X-ray examination.
• CT of the skull.
• Dermatoscopy.
• Ultrasonography.
• Cytological examination of the smear from the ear.
• Otoscopy (examination of the internal auditory canal with a special device).
• Pharyngoscopy (according to indications).
• Microlaringoscopy (according to indications).
• Angiography (according to indications).
• Symptoms of hearing loss are audiometry.
• Obligatory is the histological examination of the tissue material selected during the operation of atheroma.

Symptoms of retentive neoplasm of the sebaceous gland in the auditory canal are more specific than manifestations of an ordinary atheroma in another area of the body. Even a small cyst can cause pain, affect the audiometric parameters of the hearing, provoke a headache. Especially dangerous inflamed atheroma, prone to suppuration. Spontaneous dissection of purulent formation, one way or another, infects the auditory canal and carries the risk of infection of deeper structures of the hearing aid, so any atypical neoplasm in this area needs immediate medical attention.

Removing the atheroma of the ear canal is considered a fairly simple procedure, as a rule, the cyst is located in an accessible surgical instrument. Enucleation of atheroma is carried out for 20-30 minutes under local anesthesia and often does not require suturing, as the cysts in this zone are not capable of increasing to gigantic dimensions, that is, they do not require a large incision for vyluschina.

[17],

Diagnosis of an atheroma behind the ear

Benign ear tumors occur much more often than malignant tumors, but despite their quantitative superiority, they have been studied worse. As for the cysts and tumor-like subcutaneous tissue, so far the only differential method is a histological examination, the material for which is taken during the operative removal of the cyst.

Precise diagnosis of the atheroma behind the ear is important, since retention cysts by external signs are not much different from such diseases: 

• Fibroma.
• Chondroma.
• Papilloma.
• Internal furuncle of subcutaneous tissue.
• Lymphoangioma at the initial stage of development.
• Lipoma.
• Wart.
• Lymphadenitis.
• The dermoid cyst is behind the ear.

Recommended methods, which should include differential diagnostics of the atheroma behind the ear: 

• Anamnesis.
• External examination of the area behind the ear.
• Palpation of the neoplasm and regional lymph nodes.
• X-ray of the skull.
• Computerized tomography of the skull.
• It is desirable to conduct otoscopy (examination of the internal auditory meatus).
• Ultrasound of the lymphatic zone in the area of atheroma.
• Cytology of smears from the internal auditory canal.
• A biopsy with a histological examination of the material (usually a fence is made during the operation).

To diagnostic measures other than the otolaryngologist, a dermatologist, possibly a dermatoon oncologist, should be connected.

Before removal of an atheroma, as a rule, the following analyzes are appointed: 

• UAC is a general blood test.
• Blood chemistry.
• Analysis of urine, including sugar.
• Fluorography of the chest.
• Blood on RW.

Atheroma behind the ear, although considered a benign neoplasm not prone to malignancy, due to specific localization and a tendency to inflammation, should be determined as accurately and concretely as possible, therefore additional diagnostic methods, no matter how complex they are, are considered necessary to avoid risk erroneous diagnosis.

[18], [19], [20]

Treatment of atheroma of the earlobe

The earlobe is a typical place of formation of the retention cyst, since there are few sebaceous glands in the ear (in the shell), it consists entirely of cartilaginous tissue. Treatment for atheroma of the ear lobe involves several methods, but all of them are surgical. Such operations are completely painless, the procedure is performed under local anesthesia, small children under 7 years of age are shown with general anesthesia.

It should be noted that no method of conservative therapy, especially alternative recipes, is able to dissolve the cyst due to its structure. The atheroma capsule is rather dense, the contents are a thick sebaceous secret with impregnations of cholesterol crystals, therefore, even having reduced the size of the tumor or provoking an autopsy of a festering cyst, it will be impossible to get rid of its recurrence.

Treatment of atheroma of the ear lobe is carried out in such operative ways: 

1. Enucleation of atheroma with help. The scalpel. Under local anesthesia, a small incision is made, the contents of the cyst are squeezed out onto an old napkin, the capsule is excised completely within the healthy tissues. The seam on the earlobe after the operation remains minimal and overgrows within one and a half months.
2. The laser method of cyst removal is considered effective if the tumor is small and does not show signs of inflammation.
3. The most effective radio wave method, which gives a 100% result in the sense of excluding relapses. In addition, this method does not require traumatization of tissues and suturing, a miniature incision heals after 5-7 days, and a small scar dissolves within 3-4 months

Whichever method of treating the atheroma behind the ear is chosen by the attending physician, during the procedure the tissue of the cyst is necessarily sent for histological examination to exclude the potential risk of possible complications.

Treatment of atheroma behind the ear

Wherever there is an atheroma, regardless of its location, it is removed only in an operative way. The so-called alternative methods or suggestions to treat the retention cyst with the help of medicinal external agents do not give a result, and sometimes they tighten the process, as a result, the atheroma becomes inflamed, inflamed and turns into an abscess that is removed much more difficultly, and the operation leaves a visible postoperative scar.

Due to the fact that the treatment of the atheroma behind the ear involves the dissection of tissues near the location of large blood vessels and lymph nodes, the patient undergoes a preliminary detailed examination, diagnostics of the state of health. In general, such operations are classified as minor surgery, however, the localization of atheroma requires the attentiveness of the doctor. The more carefully the procedure is performed, the less risk of possible relapses, to which the retention cysts of the sebaceous glands are so prone.

To date, there are three generally accepted methods of neutralizing atheroma: 

• A traditional, surgical method, when the cyst is excised with a scalpel. This method is considered quite effective, especially with regard to purulent atheroma. An inflamed cyst requires an initial opening, drainage. Then it is treated symptomatically, after all the signs of the inflammatory process go away, atheroma is completely excised. After such operations, a scar inevitably remains, which successfully "hides" by the actual auricle or hairline.
• A more gentle method is laser removal of atheroma, which is effective if the cyst does not exceed 3 centimeters in diameter and has no signs of inflammation. The incision is made in any case, but it simultaneously coagulates, therefore such operations are practically bloodless, are carried out quickly, and the seam resolves within 5-7 days.
• The most popular in the last 5 years has been the radio wave method of removing subcutaneous cysts and other benign formations in the ear and head region. With the help of the "radio knife", the cyst cavity is "evaporated" together with the capsule, the incision of the tissues being minimal, accordingly, there is no postoperative scar and a cosmetic defect.

No other method, no cauterization, no application of compresses, will not yield a therapeutic result, so do not be afraid of an operation that must be performed as early as possible to avoid the risk of inflammation or suppuration of atheroma.

Atheroma behind the ear refers to benign neoplasms, which are almost impossible to prevent, but with the achievements of modern medicine it is enough to neutralize simply. It is only necessary to consult a doctor in time, to undergo complex diagnostics and to decide on a completely painless procedure.