See images of skin conditions that favour the ear.
What conditions affect the ear?
Although the ear may be involved with many skin conditions, the most common are listed here.
Skin lesions
- Moles (melanocytic naevi)
- Actinic keratoses
- Skin cancer, including basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, keratoacanthoma, atypical fibroxanthoma and melanoma
- Gouty tophi
- Keloid scars
- Cysts
Inflammatory skin conditions
- Chondrodermatitis nodularis helicis
- Otitis externa
- Contact allergic dermatitis to nickel
- Chilblains
- Juvenile spring eruption
- Cutaneous lupus erythematosus
- Relapsing polychondritis
Scalp psoriasis, atopic dermatitis and seborrhoeic dermatitis frequently affect the skin fold behind the ear.