FISTULA AURIS CONGENITA

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Abstract
FISTULA auris congenita is, as the name implies, a congenital fistulous tract found in the region of the external ear. It consists of a fistulous opening in the skin, a tract leading down into the tissues and a blind pouch or cystic dilatation in close proximity with the cartilage of the auricle. It was first described by Heusinger1 in 1864. In that same year Virchow2 described a case. Little can be found in the literature about this condition.3 While this anomaly never assumes serious proportions and is often overlooked by both patient and physician, it can be quite irritating to the patient, especially if the tract becomes infected. The fistula may secrete and extrude a material with a foul odor. Because of the paucity of information on the subject, many physicians are unaware of the existence of this anomaly. This unawareness has led to mistaken diagnoses and ineffective treatment. This
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