Idiopathic bilateral auricular ossificans: a case report and review of the literature

Petrification of the auricle results in a rigid and immalleable ear. The etiology of such a finding is usually ectopic calcification. The condition has been associated with injurious processes, such as cold injury, and with various endocrinopathies, including Addison disease. In a significant number of cases, ossification occurs without knowledge of the precipitating cause or event. True auricular ossification is a rare occurrence, with only 12 histologically confirmed cases in the literature. We herein present the clinical and pathologic findings of another case. A 60-year-old man with diet-controlled diabetes presented with a 10-year history of slowly and insidiously stiffened auricles. He denied any precipitating historical events. Routine testing did not demonstrate systemic abnormalities. Radiographic examination revealed opacities consistent with bony structure in the auricles of the ears, with the right more prominent than the left. Histologic sampling demonstrated ossification with deposition of trabecular bone in proximity to normal elastic cartilage.