Steroid injection therapy for pseudocyst of the auricle

In our clinic, we encountered 8 patients with pseudocyst of the auricle during a 6-year period from 1987 to 1992 and injected steroid solution locally into the pseudocysts. Three of these patients had no recurrences and 4 were treated successfully after 1-3 recurrences. In only one case was this therapy ineffective. After 11 injections, which resulted in permanent deformity of the auricle, the patient underwent surgery. We believe that local steroid injection therapy should be the first choice method for treating auricular pseudocysts. However, frequent injections can cause auricular deformity and if there are more than 3 recurrences, the pseudocyst should be managed surgically. The lactate dehydrogenase levels of the cystic fluid were determined in 3 of the 8 patients and proved high; in only one patient was the etiology of the pseudocyst thought to be associated with minor trauma.