Bacterial perichondritis is an infection of the perichondrium, which is the tissue that surrounds and nourishes the cartilage which makes up the outer part of your ear. There are two common types of perichondritis: bacterial or infectious and autoimmune. This article will focus primarily on bacterial perichondritis. Without proper and prompt treatment, perichondritis can cause a permanent cosmetic change.
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Common causes usually involve trauma to the tissue and include:
Diagnosis
The diagnosis of perichondritis is uncomplicated and based on the history of trauma to the ear and the appearance of the area infected. In its beginning stages, perichondritis looks similar tocellulitis. Your healthcare provider will take a thorough history to identify any risk factors listed above and examine your ear. Even though it may likely hurt a little, your healthcare provider will likely squeeze on your ear to see if there is any “give,” or fluctuance, as this can indicate an abscess or chondritis. If you have had multiple cases of perichondritis, your healthcare provider will refer you to a rheumatologist to determine if you have an autoimmune disease.
Symptoms
If you are experiencing relapsing perichondritis, you may experience other less common symptoms, including:
Treatment
Treatment for your perichondritis will be based on your physical examination. If your healthcare provider suspects an abscess, a small incision will be made to drain the pus. Your healthcare provider may then pack the area that was drained with antibiotic-coated gauze or ribbon. If packing is used, your healthcare provider will set up a follow-up appointment to remove the packing. Over time, the ear will heal on its own without sutures.
In select cases, your healthcare provider may aspirate the pus with a small needle, instead of incising it.
Regardless of the presence of pus, your healthcare provider will prescribe antibiotics for you. Augmentin or cephalexin are common antibiotics prescribed to treat perichondritis. Depending on the severity of the infection, antibiotics are prescribed to be taken orally or given intravenously.
Autoimmune perichondritis is treated using steroid medication such as prednisone to repress the immune response and stop it from attacking the cartilage of the ear (and other parts of the body).After starting treatment, your healthcare provider will also refer you to a rheumatologist for further follow-up in relation to your autoimmune disease.
Preventing Perichondritis
4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merck Manual.Perichondritis.Merck Manual.Relapsing polychondritis.Yahalom S, Eliashar R.Perichondritis: a complication of piercing auricular cartilage.Postgrad Med J. 2003;79(927):29. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.927.29Borgia F, Giuffrida R, Guarneri F, Cannavò SP.Relapsing polychondritis: an updated review.Biomedicines. 2018;6(3). doi:10.3390/biomedicines6030084Additional ReadingBrant, JA, Ruckenstein, MJ. Cummings Otolaryngology: Infections of the External Ear. 6th ed.UpToDate.Diagnosis and management of foreign bodies of the outer ear.
4 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Merck Manual.Perichondritis.Merck Manual.Relapsing polychondritis.Yahalom S, Eliashar R.Perichondritis: a complication of piercing auricular cartilage.Postgrad Med J. 2003;79(927):29. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.927.29Borgia F, Giuffrida R, Guarneri F, Cannavò SP.Relapsing polychondritis: an updated review.Biomedicines. 2018;6(3). doi:10.3390/biomedicines6030084Additional ReadingBrant, JA, Ruckenstein, MJ. Cummings Otolaryngology: Infections of the External Ear. 6th ed.UpToDate.Diagnosis and management of foreign bodies of the outer ear.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Merck Manual.Perichondritis.Merck Manual.Relapsing polychondritis.Yahalom S, Eliashar R.Perichondritis: a complication of piercing auricular cartilage.Postgrad Med J. 2003;79(927):29. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.927.29Borgia F, Giuffrida R, Guarneri F, Cannavò SP.Relapsing polychondritis: an updated review.Biomedicines. 2018;6(3). doi:10.3390/biomedicines6030084
Merck Manual.Perichondritis.
Merck Manual.Relapsing polychondritis.
Yahalom S, Eliashar R.Perichondritis: a complication of piercing auricular cartilage.Postgrad Med J. 2003;79(927):29. doi:10.1136/pmj.79.927.29
Borgia F, Giuffrida R, Guarneri F, Cannavò SP.Relapsing polychondritis: an updated review.Biomedicines. 2018;6(3). doi:10.3390/biomedicines6030084
Brant, JA, Ruckenstein, MJ. Cummings Otolaryngology: Infections of the External Ear. 6th ed.UpToDate.Diagnosis and management of foreign bodies of the outer ear.
Brant, JA, Ruckenstein, MJ. Cummings Otolaryngology: Infections of the External Ear. 6th ed.
UpToDate.Diagnosis and management of foreign bodies of the outer ear.
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