Infection, cartilage necrosis due to multiple ear piercings

On October 4, the Central Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital said that it regularly receives emergency cases of infection , abscesses, and even necrosis of the ear rim due to piercing. A typical case is the female patient PTKL (18 years old, in Hanoi ).

At the hospital, L. was diagnosed with bilateral auricular cartilage inflammation and a right auricular cartilage abscess. Doctors performed an incision to drain pus and clean the inflamed tissue for the female patient.

The patient's ear was deformed due to his hobby of wearing many earrings. Photo provided by the doctor

Another case is male patient PMT (23 years old, Hanoi) also had to be hospitalized with pain, swelling, redness in the right earlobe, and a pus hole.

Two weeks before being admitted to the hospital, T. had his right ear pierced. After about four days, T. developed a mild fever and pain in his right ear. He went to a medical facility for examination and treatment but did not improve.

At the Central Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, the male patient was diagnosed with a right ear cartilage abscess due to an ear piercing. Doctors performed surgery to drain the abscess, scrape off the necrotic cartilage, fix it with sutures and treat the patient.

Doctor Pham Anh Tuan, Central Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital, said the most common complication after ear piercing is auricular cartilage inflammation. This is a dangerous complication for young people who like to pierce their ears because the earring when inserted into the cartilage layer of the ear is likely to become infected.

Doctors warn of the risk of infection when piercing ears

Doctors say infections in the cartilage of the ear are more difficult to treat than infections in soft tissues such as the earlobe. In addition, the risk of contracting blood-borne diseases can also occur when ear piercing tools are not handled properly.

Treatment of cartilage inflammation and ear abscess is very complicated because bacteria causing cartilage inflammation require long-term antibiotics, and dredging of necrotic cartilage can easily leave sequelae. In some cases, if not treated promptly, the ear cartilage has been partially destroyed.

Doctor Tuan recommends that when you need to have your ears pierced, you should choose a reputable facility and be careful when getting your ears pierced in multiple locations, especially locations where the piercing goes through the ear cartilage because it can easily cause cartilage inflammation and complications due to cartilage inflammation.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/suc-khoe/nhiem-trung-hoai-tu-sun-do-bam-nhieu-lo-tai-2023100413302465.htm