Diseases of external ear

inflammation of the outer ear and ear canal.

Perichondritis is inflammation of the perichondrium, a layer of connective tissue which surrounds cartilage. A common form, auricular perichondritis (perichondritis auriculae) involves infection of the pinna due to infection of traumatic or surgical wound or the spread of inflammation into depth (e.g. Infected transcartilaginous ear piercings). It may lead to severe deformation of the pinna if not treated vigorously with IV antibiotics. The causative organism is usually Pseudomonas aeruginosa. A rare form is laryngeal perichondritis (perichondritis laryngis). It develops suddenly due to an inj