II. Complications

  1. Auricular Perichondritis
  2. Superficial earlobe infection (up to 77% of piercings)
    1. Treat with moist heat and Bacitracin
    2. Consider Bactroban or Keflex in refractory cases
  3. Alleric Contact Dermatitis
    1. May appear similar to superficial earlobe infections
    2. Often related to nickel in ear ring, stud or backing
  4. Hypertrophic Scar (Keloid)
    1. Treat with intralesional Corticosteroid or excision
  5. Ear lobe swelling obliterates piercing hole
    1. Maintain hole with large gauge Nylon Suture
  6. Earing embeds in ear lobe (prevent with longer studs)
    1. May require exploration under Local Anesthesia
    2. Risk of infection
  7. Ear ring pulls through ear lobe leaving wedge defect
    1. Repair within 24 hours
    2. If longer, requires recutting edges before suturing
    3. Watson (2002) Otolaryngol Clin North Am 35:187-205 [PubMed]
  8. Ear Piercing hole closes
    1. Re-pierce in non-scarred area in 3 months

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Ontology: Piercing of external ear (C0198023)

Concepts Therapeutic or Preventive Procedure (T061)
MSH D046288
SnomedCT 5532000, 200849007
CPT 69090
English Piercing of external ear, Ear piercing, EAR PIERCING, piercing of external ear (treatment), piercing of external ear, ear pierced, ears pierc, ears pierced, Piercing;ear, ears piercing, ear piercings, ear piercing, of ear piercing, Piercing of pinna, Piercing of external ear (procedure), PIERCE EARLOBES, Pierce earlobes, Piercing of external ear (procedure) [Ambiguous], Piercing, Ear, Ear Piercings, Piercings, Ear, Ear Piercing
Italian Perforazione del lobo dell'orecchio, Piercing all'orecchio
Japanese 耳介穿孔, ジカイセンコウ
Czech ucho - piercing, Ušní piercing
Portuguese Piercing de Orelha, Perfuração da orelha
Spanish Perforación de la Oreja, perforación de la oreja (procedimiento), perforación de la oreja para insertar pendientes, aros u otros ornamentos (procedimiento), perforación de la oreja para insertar pendientes, aros u otros ornamentos, piercing de la oreja, perforación del pabellón auricular para insertar pendientes, aros u otros ornamentos, perforación de la oreja, Perforacion de lobulos de las orejas, perforación del pabellón de la oreja, perforación del pabellón auricular, perforación del pabellón de la oreja (procedimiento), perforación del pabellón de la oreja (concepto no activo), Perforación de orejas
German Ohrpiercing, Ohrenpiercing
French Perçage auriculaire, Piercing auriculaire, Perçage à l'oreille, Perçage du lobe de l'oreille, Piercing à l'oreille
Hungarian Fül-piercing / testékszer
Norwegian Piercing i ørene
Dutch oorpiercing, Oorpiercing