What bacteria causes perichondritis?
The most common type of bacteria that causes perichondritis infection is Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Perichondritis is usually caused by an injury to the ear due to: Ear surgery. Ear piercing (especially piercing of the cartilage)
What are two signs and symptoms of perichondritis?
Symptoms
- Redness.
- Swelling.
- Pain.
- Pus or other fluid discharge (in severe cases)
- Fever (in severe cases)
- Deformation of the ear structure (in severe cases)
How do you know if you have perichondritis?
A painful, swollen, red ear is the most common symptom. At first, the infection will look like a skin infection, but it quickly worsens and involves the perichondrium. The redness usually surrounds an area of injury, such as a cut or scrape. There may also be fever.
What causes pinna perichondritis?
Pinna perichondritis is an infection of the perichondral lining of the ear cartilage. It is primarily caused by pseudomonas aeruginosa and staphylococcus aureus. Patients will present with an erythematous, swollen, hot external ear, with sparing of the lobule. There may also be a collection of pus present.
What antibiotics treat perichondritis?
A common antibiotic for the treatment of perichondritis is fluoroquinolone. You may take the antibiotic by mouth (orally) or apply it directly onto your skin (topically). Perichondritis treatment for children may or may not include fluoroquinolone.
Is perichondritis an emergency?
Not uncommon by any stretch (it affects hundreds of thousands of patients each year), perichondritis may be under-recognized in fast-paced emergency departments. Perichondritis is an infection of the connective tissue of the ear that covers the cartilaginous auricle or pinna, excluding the lobule.
What is the difference between perichondritis and Polychondritis?
Differences between perichondritis and polychondritis
Polychondritis is characterized by cartilage swelling and it affects to articulate, vision and cardiovascular. This may occur in different areas of the body. Moreover, it is an inflammatory multisystem disease. Perichondritis, instead, affects solely to the pinna.
What is a possible serious complication of perichondritis if untreated?
Without treatment, perichondritis can lead to “cartilage necrosis,” which means the cartilage in your ear dies. This complication results when the flow of blood to the cartilage is blocked by the buildup of pus caused by the infection. Without this blood supply, the cartilage dies.