Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis et antihelicis

A retrospective study of 50 patients (25 male, 25 female) suffering from chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica is presented. There was equal distribution between male and female, with the nodule being situated on the helix in 36 cases (23 male, 13 female), and on the antihelix in 18 cases (4 male, 14 female). Four patients had bilateral lesions. All the patients complained of severe pain in the affected ear when they slept on it at night. Of the 54 ears in this study, 23 had undergone previous surgery for the complaint. These recurrences occurred when either skin alone, or a disproportionately large piece of skin relative to cartilage, was excised. A treatment technique is described involving minimal skin excision combined with extensive cartilage resection. There has been no recurrence following our technique and postoperative deformity has been minimal.