Table of contents:
- Why does a preauricular hole appear in a child's ear?
- What are the signs and symptoms of preauricular sinus in children?
- How to treat it?
Ear infections are one of the many health problems affecting children. However, ear infections can occur more frequently, especially in some children who have preauricular pits. Preauricular pits are the small holes that are in front of the ear lobe. Saga Omar Nagata, son of Anji Manji, the ex-vocalist of 'Drive' musician, is known to have preauricular sinus because the hole in his ear has become infected. What are the signs and symptoms of preauricular sinus in children?
Why does a preauricular hole appear in a child's ear?
Source: Healthline
Preauricular pits or preauricular holes are super small holes in front of the ear, located close to the face as shown above. Not everyone is born with this hole in their ear.
The preauricular opening appears at birth, and can begin to form in the uterus as early as the first two months of pregnancy. When a child is born with this hole, it will initially form a shallow groove on the outside of the ear near the face. As it grows and develops, the preauricular pit will deepen to form a hole.
This hole usually only appears on one side of the ear. In the ear, there may only be one hole or even several small holes near the ear.
What are the signs and symptoms of preauricular sinus in children?
In most cases, the preaucricular pit does not cause significant problems. But actually, this hole is connected to an abnormal sinus tract under the skin. The sinuses are small air-filled cavities under the skin, which are located behind the cheekbones and forehead. These narrow cavities generally have the potential to become blocked so that they can become infected.
If the abnormal sinus tract is already infected, then certain signs and symptoms will appear in the preaucricular area, such as:
- Swelling in and around the ear canal.
- The small hole oozes pus or a strange fluid.
- Reddish ears.
- Fever.
- Ear pain.
How to treat it?
If the child's preauricular opening does not show any signs and symptoms, there is no need for treatment. However, parents should remain vigilant, because the preaucricular hole is susceptible to infection.
If already infected, take the child to a general practitioner or ENT specialist. Doctors will usually prescribe antibiotics for ear infections in children. In some cases, the doctor may also drain the pus that has collected in the hole with a minor surgical procedure. The lump of infection may also be removed so that it does not keep recurring in the future.
Sometimes doctors need a CT scan or MRI to check the condition of the ear more deeply. With this test, the doctor can also find out the potential complications that may occur due to the preaucricular sinus more quickly.
