Benign Idiopathic Cystic Chondromalacia Of Auricle

Abstract

Benign idiopathic cystic chondromalacia (BICC) is an uncommon, benign, painless, and usually unilateral, dome-shaped cystic swelling in the helix or antihelix of the auricle. Common sites include the cymba concha, scaphoid fossa and triangular fossa. BICC can also be found in the literature reports labeled as auricular pseudocyst, endochondral pseudocyst, intracartilaginous cyst, and (pseudo) auricular seroma. Because BICC is fairly unknown, they can be misdiagnosed and as a consequence inappropriately treated. A 60-year-old man presented with a mass on the right auricle of 5-year duration. It had increased slightly in size over this period. He denied any history of auricular trauma. Physical examination revealed a firm 1.5 × 1 cm sized firm mass in the scaphoid fossa and protruded slightly into the posterior helix. The patient underwent an excisional biopsy for diagnosis. The pathologic features of the mass were diagnostic for a BICC. Because BICC is fairly unknown, they can be misdiagnosed and as a consequence inappropriately treated. J Med Cases. 2018;9(12):383-385 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jmc3193