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 infections , 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) who was also hospitalized with pain, swelling, redness and heat in the right earlobe, with a pus hole.

Two weeks before being admitted to the hospital, T. had a piercing in his right ear. After about four days, T. had a slight fever and pain in his right ear. The patient went to a medical facility for examination and treatment but did not get better.

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

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

Doctors warn of the risk of infection when piercing ears

Doctors say infections in the ear cartilage 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 scraping of necrotic cartilage can easily leave sequelae. In some cases, if they do not go to the hospital in time, 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 consider carefully when getting your ears pierced in many locations, especially the location where the piercing goes through the cartilage of the ear, as 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