An unusual auricular malformation accompanied by accessory tragus: macrotragus

Abstract

Definition of malformations of the tragus is important for terminology and treatment. Most common entities are the skin tag, accessory tragus, preauricular sinus, and cyst, whereas macrotragus is an uncommon and unaddressed deformity that should be distinguished from these. In this report, three cases with diagnosis of the macrotragus are presented. The tragus was uniformly large and displaced anteriorly, and external auditory meatus was not obliterated in all cases. For correction, excision of the excess tragal cartilage and skin was performed. In all cases, bilaterally symmetric tragus was achieved. There were no complications in the early postoperative period and there was no enlargement after 6 months of observation. Macrotragus and accessory tragus are different entities that should be distinguished for accurate diagnosis. They have similar histopathological but distinct anatomical characteristics. Although both are treated by a simple excision, in the case of macrotragus, special effort should be taken to leave enough cartilage to restore normal tragal contours.