Question
What are the dangers of congenital preauricular sinus?
Answer
A congenital preauricular sinus may only produce a thin mucus or milky-like secretion from the sinus opening, accompanied by itching or discomfort in the area. However, once infected, it may lead to redness, swelling, heat, and pain, often recurring. This is a common otological condition caused by poor fusion of the small nodules on the second and third arches during the development of the ear’s structure in the embryonic period or incomplete separation of the second branchial cleft. The sinus may have multiple branches and be curved, with the external opening usually located above the antihelix. The lumen is lined with stratified squamous epithelium, containing accumulated scales that occasionally discharge a sticky sebaceous material from the sinus opening.