Aural Perichondritis Following an Unexpected Cause

Abstract

Retained foreign body has been a malady to many physicians including Otorhinolaryngologist.  This case report emphasizes the importance of awareness of the complications following a retained ear wick as prolonged insertion may lead to devastating outcome, as in our case perichondritis which if not detected early may have led to cartilage necrosis. We report a rare case of pinna perichondritis following a retained ear wick. The unfortunate patient was unaware of the ear wick and visited several different clinics for non-resolving ear infection. We would like to highlight the importance of awareness of the devastating complication of a retained or forgotten ear wick.