title: Nonsurgical technique for incomplete earlobe cleft repair.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Earlobe cleft is a common problem caused by the wearing of jewelry or decorative objects. Incomplete earlobe clefts are usually bilateral and are often converted to complete clefts as part of the surgical repair procedure.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We present a nonsurgical procedure for incomplete earlobe cleft repair using trichloroacetic acid 90%.
  
  
  METHODS
  We assessed 32 patients with a total of 53 earlobes to be noninvasively repaired.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complete treatment varied from 2 to 50 days, an average of 15 days between the first and last application of trichloroacetic acid 90%. No recurrences were observed during 1 year of follow-up. All of the clefts were totally repaired, and all of the patients were satisfied with the aesthetic results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Considering the surgical limitations, the noninvasive procedure described here may be considered to be a good option for incomplete earlobe cleft repair because of its good functional and cosmetic results, low cost, minimum risk, and easy application.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, College of Medicine, Federal University of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais, Brazil. mcrismendonca@terra.com.br
authors.forename: Maria Cristina Cardoso
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: de Mendonça
authors.forename: Ana Rosa Magaldi Ribeiro
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.forename: Júnia Maria Fernandes
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: Maria das Graças Tavares Lopes
authors.initials: Md
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Aloísio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gamonal
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002424:Caustics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002648:Child; D004431:Ear, External / Q000293:injuries*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D022125:Lacerations / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014238:Trichloroacetic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002424:Caustics; D014238:Trichloroacetic Acid