Petrified Ears: A Clue for Adrenal Insufficiency
Petrified ears is an uncommon clinical entity. It describes auricular cartilage hardening, due usually to ectopic calcification or, less commonly, ossification. The most common causes are frostbite and mechanical trauma. However, endocrinopathies have also been reported to cause ectopic calcium depo...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-03-01
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| Series: | Dermatopathology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2296-3529/8/1/9 |
| _version_ | 1797413198810316800 |
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| author | Sebastiano Recalcati Fabrizio Fantini |
| author_facet | Sebastiano Recalcati Fabrizio Fantini |
| author_sort | Sebastiano Recalcati |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Petrified ears is an uncommon clinical entity. It describes auricular cartilage hardening, due usually to ectopic calcification or, less commonly, ossification. The most common causes are frostbite and mechanical trauma. However, endocrinopathies have also been reported to cause ectopic calcium deposition through an unknown mechanism. Addison’s disease is the systemic disease most frequently associated, but the exact pathogenesis remains unclear. Patients are usually asymptomatic, and the diagnosis is made incidentally when rigid helices are noted on palpation and can be confirmed by radiological imaging. A biopsy can also help to differentiate between calcification and ossification. The presence of this condition may be a useful clinical sign, which in some cases precedes the development of endocrinopathies by many years. We report on a case, and we review the current literature. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:14:11Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9c4b62d63f4f432898ed0dffd97e4ba0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2296-3529 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T05:14:11Z |
| publishDate | 2021-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Dermatopathology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9c4b62d63f4f432898ed0dffd97e4ba02023-12-03T12:46:57ZengMDPI AGDermatopathology2296-35292021-03-0181454810.3390/dermatopathology8010009Petrified Ears: A Clue for Adrenal InsufficiencySebastiano Recalcati0Fabrizio Fantini1Department of Dermatology, ASST Lecco, Alessandro Manzoni Hospital, 23900 Lecco, ItalyDepartment of Dermatology, ASST Lecco, Alessandro Manzoni Hospital, 23900 Lecco, ItalyPetrified ears is an uncommon clinical entity. It describes auricular cartilage hardening, due usually to ectopic calcification or, less commonly, ossification. The most common causes are frostbite and mechanical trauma. However, endocrinopathies have also been reported to cause ectopic calcium deposition through an unknown mechanism. Addison’s disease is the systemic disease most frequently associated, but the exact pathogenesis remains unclear. Patients are usually asymptomatic, and the diagnosis is made incidentally when rigid helices are noted on palpation and can be confirmed by radiological imaging. A biopsy can also help to differentiate between calcification and ossification. The presence of this condition may be a useful clinical sign, which in some cases precedes the development of endocrinopathies by many years. We report on a case, and we review the current literature.https://www.mdpi.com/2296-3529/8/1/9petrified earsauricular calcificationectopic calcificationear reconstructionmetastatic calcification |
| spellingShingle | Sebastiano Recalcati Fabrizio Fantini Petrified Ears: A Clue for Adrenal Insufficiency Dermatopathology petrified ears auricular calcification ectopic calcification ear reconstruction metastatic calcification |
| title | Petrified Ears: A Clue for Adrenal Insufficiency |
| title_full | Petrified Ears: A Clue for Adrenal Insufficiency |
| title_fullStr | Petrified Ears: A Clue for Adrenal Insufficiency |
| title_full_unstemmed | Petrified Ears: A Clue for Adrenal Insufficiency |
| title_short | Petrified Ears: A Clue for Adrenal Insufficiency |
| title_sort | petrified ears a clue for adrenal insufficiency |
| topic | petrified ears auricular calcification ectopic calcification ear reconstruction metastatic calcification |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2296-3529/8/1/9 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sebastianorecalcati petrifiedearsaclueforadrenalinsufficiency AT fabriziofantini petrifiedearsaclueforadrenalinsufficiency |