title: Congenital anomalies presenting as recurrent post-auricular abscesses: an institution based retrospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This report is intended to bring out the association of recurrent postauricular abscess in children with various underlying congenital anomalies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective study was done in tertiary care setting from the year August 2005 to February 2012 using the medical record department database to retrieve the patient details. During this study period, a total of 215 children with an age range of 1-14 years were treated at the hospital with postauricular abscess. We analysed the data using appropriate statistical tests for parametric and nonparametric data and setting the p value at 0.05 for significance. For testing the association between the recurrence of abscess and the presence of underlying congenital anomalies, Fischer's t test was used.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 215 patients were studied, of which 41 patients presented with recurrence. 26 of the 41 patients (63.4%) had recurrent postauricular abscess with associated congenital anomalies. Among the 26 patients, in 16 patients (62%), the recurrent abscesses were due to postauricular sinuses. Other less common causes were infected post auricular dermoid cyst, first branchial cysts, collaural fistula and congenital aural atresia. There was a statistically significant association of the recurrence of abscess with presence of underlying congenital anomalies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Paediatric recurrent postauricular abscesses are rare in the post antibiotic era. Their presence should alert a treating physician of an underlying congenital anomaly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Pondicherry, India. drkirubashankar@gmail.com
authors.forename: Kiruba Shankar
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Manoharan
authors.forename: S K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Saxena
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gopalakrishnan
mesh_terms: D000038:Abscess / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000628:therapy; D000293:Adolescent; D001934:Branchial Region / Q000002:abnormalities*; D001935:Branchioma / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003884:Dermoid Cyst / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D013203:Staphylococcal Infections / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Abscess; Branchial; Paediatric; Recurrent