Cauliflower ear is caused by perichondritis, an infection of the skin and tissue surrounding the ear cartilage of your child's outer ear. The infection can lead to damage of the shape and structure of your child's outer ear making it look lumpy and bumpy, looking like a cauliflower. This appearance can be permanent without a treatment. If you think your infant damaged her ear, contact your doctor right away.
Causes
Cauliflower ear can result from a blow, surgery or piercing that forms a blood clot under the skin or that stripes away the cartilage. Blood clot stops the blood flow and delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the cartilage. When this happens, the cartilage can get infected -- leading to perichondritis -- and/or die -- leading to shriveling of the ear an formation of cauliflower ear, according to the Children's Hospital Colorado.
Symptoms
The most common symptom of cauliflower ear is pain and redness in the area of injury. According to the MedlinePlus, it may first look like your infant has a skin infection that surrounds a scrape or a cut in the skin. However, if left untreated your child may also develop fever and have fluid draining from the injury.
Treatment
The sooner your infant gets treatment for the ear injury, the better the changes of preventing the formation of cauliflower ear. Your doctor can give your child antibiotics to prevent perichondritis. In severe cases, when pus is trapped in the ear, your doctor may do a surgery to remove dead skin and cartilage, and to drain the fluid. If left untreated, the infection can spread to the ear cartilage and cause part of the ear cartilage to die. In these cases, your doctor may need to remove that part of the ear followed by a plastic surgery to return the ear to its normal shape.
Prevention
Getting a ear piercing through the cartilage has the highest risk of developing a cauliflower ear, according to the MedlinePlus. Never pierce your infant's ears through the cartilage. If you are getting them pierced, only do it through the ear lobe. Infants, especially when they begin crawling and walking, can injury they ears by hitting them against objects. Prevent this by child proofing your home.
