Surgical repair of cleft earlobes caused by pressure necrosis: A patient record review describing clinical and operative characteristics at a tertiary referral hospital in Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

[Accepted Case Series]

Earlobe piercing has been a recognised body adornment since antiquity. Cleft of the earlobe can present to the plastic surgeons as a congenital or acquired lesion.

Though acquired cleft earlobe is commonly due to traction or gravity, pressure necrosis resulting from excessive force during the application of stud earrings was the commonest aetiology in this series. This was usually preceded by oedema and skin discoloration.

In this retrospective report we present 12 patients who presented with cleft earlobe. Unlike in other studies 71% of our patients are children under 2 years of age, 67% (8) of the patients reported using gold-plated stud earrings while 25%(4) were wearing hoop earrings. The implemented techniques include the following: Pardue, Pardue and Z-plasty or only Z-plasties.