Effective treatment of chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis using a conservative approach.
BACKGROUND
Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis (CNCH) is usually treated by surgical excision, but is prone to recurrence.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether CNCH could be treated nonsurgically using a home-made, pressure-relieving prosthesis.


METHODS
A retrospective comparison was made of the outcome in 41 subjects treated surgically and 15 treated nonsurgically between 1999 and 2001.


RESULTS
Thirteen of the 15 patients (87%) treated nonsurgically were healed at follow-up after 1 month of conservative treatment and so have avoided surgery to date. In contrast, the recurrence rate of the surgically treated group was 14 of 41 (34%) patients.


CONCLUSIONS
As a result of this study, we recommend that patients presenting with CNCH be managed conservatively in the first instance.
Moncrieff
M
M
Department of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital NHS Trust, Norwich NR4 7UY, UK.
Sassoon
E M
EM
D000368:Aged; D002357:Cartilage Diseases / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy*; D004425:Ear Cartilage / Q000601:surgery; D004427:Ear Diseases / Q000601:surgery / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011312:Pressure; D019736:Prostheses and Implants; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome