title: "Petrified Ears" in Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency.
abstract: Petrification of the auricle, a rarely encountered clinical entity usually results from ectopic calcification of the auricular cartilages and manifests as rigid ear. The underlying pathogenesis remains ambiguous with several proposed hypotheses till date. Auricular calcification may be the sole cutaneous marker of underlying endocrinopathy at times. Adrenal insufficiency is the most common endocrinological disorder to be associated with such stiff ears and it has been described in both primary as well as secondary forms of the disease. We present here a 30-year-old man whose clinical condition deteriorated following levothyroxine supplementation and the presence of "petrified ears" ultimately provided a clue to the diagnosis of associated secondary adrenal insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Residential Medical Officer, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, NRS Medical College and Hospital , Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
authors.forename: Soumik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Goswami
authors.affiliation: Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Midnapore Medical College and Hospital , Midnapore, West Bengal, India .
authors.forename: Partha Pratim
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Chakraborty
authors.affiliation: Senior Resident, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research and SSKM Hospital , Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
authors.forename: Sayantan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ray
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research and SSKM Hospital , Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
authors.forename: Sujoy
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ghosh
authors.affiliation: Professor, Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education & Research and SSKM Hospital , Kolkata, West Bengal, India .
authors.forename: Subhankar
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Chowdhury
keywords: Auricular calcification; Partial empty sella