| Abstrakt: |
A review of the literature on calcification of the auricular cartilage discloses that frostbite has, in the past, been believed to be the most common etiologic agent. Thus, Childrey1 in 1938 reported on 61 cases presented by 21 observers. Other less common causes put forth at this time were (a) syphilis and (b) trauma with resulting perichondritis.The auricular cartilage is composed of yellow elastic cartilage, and most of the fibers are in parallel rows at right angles to the axis of the pinna. The cartilage cells are encapsulated singly or in pairs, and the perichondrium is comparatively thick. This type of cartilage is the one least likely to undergo pathologic calcification.Scherrer2 described the case of a white woman with toxic goiter in whom the auricular cartilage had undergone calcification. A biopsy showed compact lamellar bone with a few marrow spaces filled mostly with fat cells.Nathanson |
