Recurring Preauricular Pit/Discharge

[mummyto2joys]

My son is 5 yrs old and has had 3 operations on a preauricular pit.  His last operation was when he was 1.5 yrs old.  Now 5 and the scar, which never healed properly and had post-op infections resistant to antibiotics has now started discharging small amounts of pus and irritating him, going red and hurting him when I massage the area to try and get any discharge out.

Discharge is coming from the original pit site as well as the 2 tiny holes left by the stitches from the operations, discharge can vary from quite solidified and white to runny with some colour to it.

We are now booked in for a 4th and final operation (hopefully) this time the paeditrician will remove the underlying cartilage and use methylene blue (not sure if this will work considering the pit has been operated on already).  I suppose I want an ENT opinion or other persons experience.  Will this 4th op work considering cartilage is being removed, what else can we do?  This is a very traumatic issue for us and so very terribly painful to my son.  I live in Australia and hope this site can provide some info to me, I just don't know where else to go for assistance.

[momma2threekiddos]

My daughters Dr also told me to drain the pit by simple 'popping' whenever it seems full. It doesn't bother her and I do it daily whenever she is nursing :) He recommended doing this to keep the buildup to a minimum and avoid there becoming a clog. We would not opt for any surgery unless there was a SEVERE problem or infection present.

[aleks174]

Hi , i am 18, i live in Sydney Australia, i had problems with preauricular sinuses too. i had 3 operations all three were unsuccessful, these things are a massive headache if not taken care of and treated the right ways. If the infections happen to come back again and keep coming back then i would advise you to take Keflex to stop the infections as soon as it starts the first little signs of infections (it helped me alot with stopping the infections). Recently on the 4th of December i had a successful operation done and it is now all cleared up. i advise if you are going to have a operation on this problem, then have it operated by a surgeon that has operated on these problems and make sure he has alot of experience. My last operation was operated by a professor in sinuses and i think that if you live in Australia and are willing to get rid of them problems then you should see this guy.

[waym]

Would like to know your Surgeon in the Philippines.i had mine operated in Manila 4yrs ago and just keep coming back.when i moved in the U.S have this problem ever since went to 3 doctors where they don't have an idea about this and one of my plastic surgeon wont even touch it sound scary would like to go back to the Philippines and have this operated again but definately not going back to the same surgeon i had 4yrs ago.Appreciate the help.

[Mapsy2010]

Hi, my 20 months have the same issue with pus forming in the pit and like you I have been releasing it when it appear 'full'. Since your post has been 3 years now, I'm wondering if your daughter's condition has improved or you have taken a different approach.

[Nuef]

May I have the pd's name n contact no. urgently. My daughter is just 1 1/2 years old n facing the same problem.

[lomalara]

thanks so much for being the only person I could find to post a home remedy. I too have two pits, one on the left is 'active'. Had a crappy ENT supposedly 'remove' it in Del Mar, CA. Don't go to her, forgot her name cynthia something or other...
anyway, it became terribly infected and I was in horrible pain for a week. Once it healed, the discharge was still there.
I'll try this method using colidial silver, and am already taking turmeric and zinc for another cyst problem. turmeric for boils and cysts seems to draw things to a locus, so will see if this helps draw out the pus maybe using a poltice at night under a bandage.
Also like what another poster said about cleaning and squeezing it daily in the shower. will try to remember to do this too.