title: Clinical analysis of auricular benign masses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Auricular masses are growths on the outer ear that have not been well characterized clinically. We assessed the clinical nature and treatment of auricular benign masses in patients at our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively identified 63 patients with auricular benign masses who underwent excision and biopsy from May 1970 to April 2011. We determined the site, cause, size, pathology and postoperative results of these auricular masses.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Auricular benign masses occurred most commonly on the lobule (44.4%), followed by the tragus (20.6%), crus of helix (11.1%), triangular fossa (6.3%), crus of antihelix-antitragus (3.1%) and scapha (1.5%). Pathologically, the most common type of auricular mass was epidermal cysts (25.3%), followed by hypertrophic scar (12.6%), fibrous tissue-accessory ear (9.5%), chronic inflammation-nevus (7.9%), keloid (6.3%), hemangioma (4.7%), and skin tag-seborrheic keratosis (3.1%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The most common site of auricular benign masses is the lobule and most common pathology is an epidermal cyst.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Su Young
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Myung Gu
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Samsung Changwon Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Changwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Hyun
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Boo
authors.affiliation: Department of Metal Jewelry Design, Sookmyung Women's University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Eun Kyung
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Yeo
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Chul
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Kyu
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Seung Geun
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Yeo
keywords: Auricular mass; External ear mass