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.

[ambeierlein]

Hello, my daughter is 7 months, and there is an abscess (size of a pea) next to one of her pits for almost 3 months now. It was opened at cleaned out many times,+ different antibiotics, but the abscess never healed completely. Now doctors suggested surgery, by i'm afraid it won't work, especially if the tissue is infected. Any of you has an idea on how to heal the infection? I heard a lot about draining, but none of the doctors hear ever suggested it, and we already saw plenty of them, what kind of a drain could it be? Could the constant infection become dangerous if we wait to much with the operation? thank you for any answer!

[Sandi999]

I'm 52 and clean mine daily in the shower with a soapy  wash rag then I finish up with q-tips in both ears then push a little on it and that's it. With the wash rag I push behind it to get the stuff out and don't usually have a problem. Sometimes it gets a little sore but I keep pushing from behind and it goes away. I wouldn't get rid of it without a fight.

[Lrnsprkls]

Hi.
Just thought I might be of some assistance. I too was born with ear pits on both ears which were passed to me from my father. My sister and two children also have this anomaly. The discharge can be awful and very embarrassing. I have come up with a treatment that has really helped.
    By inserting the eye end of a large needle (or as large as will fit ) I remove puss or keratin from the holes rinsing in between each removal and dipping in alcohol. Once I have removed as much as I can I fill the eye (of the needle) with hand sanitizer and insert it into the hole. I repeat the process a few times, rinsing off the needle in between each application.
       Next, I fill the eye with neosporin (or any triple antibiotic ointment). This will stop the discharge and smell immediately and will last about a week or longer. Although, I believe with continued treatment it may cure the infection all together. I hope this helps. I have not seen or heard of any successful treatments in terms of surgery. I have been prescribed antibiotics through out my life none of which helped at all. This treatment has brought amazing results. Good luck to you and your daughter. Also has your daughter had any medical problems? Such as breathing, Migraines, hearing difficulties & or ear infections, or excessive vomiting?

[nik5squad]

RE: Ear Pits  
In your message you stated that you try to get the discharge out. #1 you do not need to do that. The most important thing is to avoid touching, massaging or irritating the pit. I have one & I'm now 35. I have learned through experience to never bother it. If it seeps the discharge, gently wipe it clean with a cloth of alcohol. Whenever you see there there are repeat issues, it's because the area is being irriated which can lead to infection. My son, 6yrs old has one above each ear & my 13yr old daughter has one. She bothers it, and when she does within a week, it becomes infected. She has had to have an ENT specialist to relieve it of the pain & pressure caused by the pus 2yrs ago. Trust me, the best way to care for the pit is to leave it be...if it seeps, GENTLY wipe it clean with an alcohol pad. Hope this helps.

[lgal11]

my mom has one near her forehead...but my bro and  i have it on the cartilage that connects our ears to our heads... i had surgery n i worked out fine.. i had it was a preteen like 13 or soo... now im almost 18...n its fine now....just a lil scar no problems ever since.. so glad i had it done...

[batoussai]

i just want to share my experience with this preaucular pit. i was born also with this and have been dealing with the constanct swelling and pus that comes out every now and then from that small hole. in 2009 when i while working here in saudi arabia, i decided to have it excised, unfortunately after 3 operations the surgeon is not good enough to remove all the pits inside. and i have to endure a whole year of swelling and pain because the wounds wont heal due to the pus liquid that is being produced by the pit. when i went fro vacation in the philippines in 2010, i decided to take one final shot at it. the doctor explain to me that what i have inside is like a plastic of skin that is why is it undetectable from MRI and xray, i just tell him where i always feel the itchiness and it is where he concentrate in looking this bag of skin. finally the good surgeon have removed everything and now i am free from all the swelling and pain.

i just wanted to help those who have the same problems because i know how hard to maintain this kind of disease. you may contact me in my email add and i can refer you my surgeon in the philippines. jaime_inductivo***@**** is my email add.