Bump on the back of my ear

I used to have an earring on the cartilage of my ear. Couple months ago I got into a fist fight and some guy pulled the earring off and something just started growing on the back of my ear where the earring was. Few weeks ago I noticed the bump was getting bigger so I took off the ear ring and now it is about 1cm big. It is not really soft, and there is no fluid inside.

Picture of it:  http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/3865/adsfa022jf7.jpg

I went to see a dermatologist today and he told me that it was an infection from the virus and he was not very cleared about the details. He said if I do a surgery on it, it could still grow back after the surgery. He suggested me to take a shot to shrink it and I have to go back 3 more times and when it is small enough then he can perform the surgery. He gave me an ointment caled Vanos (fluocinonide)

He is charging me $90 per visit without insurance for 3 times and $350 for the surgery at the end. So I'm going to spend around $ 620 for this bump..is it worth it? Am I getting ripped off? is there any other way that I can get rid of this wart like bump on my ear?

[BhumikaMD]

Hi,

This could imply that you have an ear infection.

The best treatment for ear infections is to take a wait and see approach, and to offer pain management to the patient. Aspirin can reduce pain and swelling, and many drug stores have over the counter drugs for ear aches which will ease the pain. A doctor can also prescribe more serious analgesics if the pain is extreme. The patient should also be kept hydrated, and encouraged to rest. Within 24 to 48 hours, the problem may be entirely resolved, whether it is a true ear infection or simply an ear ache.

In cases where symptoms persist or seem to grow worse, a doctor may decide to prescribe antibiotics for an ear infection. Antibiotics are prescribed with care, however, as each course of antibiotics makes the patient more prone to serious ear infections in the future. In patients under six months of age, antibiotics will be prescribed in all patients with signs of an ear infection, whether or not the infection is confirmed. In older patients, however, the doctor will perform an exam to confirm the presence of infection before offering antibiotics. Even with antibiotics, pain management is usually still necessary in the first few days, because the infection and accompanying buildup of fluid will not clear immediately.

Regards.