Epidemiology of auricular trauma

BACKGROUND: Auricular trauma is rare but can seriously reduce self-acceptance and function. Epidemiologic data on the causes of trauma causes and patient characteristics are limited. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The case notes of 141 from 197 patients with ear injuries have been reviewed retrospectively according to trauma cause and to the distribution of age and gender. RESULTS: Two thirds of the documented cases occurred between the age of 11 and 40 years. Men outnumbered women at a ratio of 2 to 1. The most frequent causes for ear trauma were traffic accidents (43 %), accidents at home (33 %), and fights (14 %). CONCLUSIONS: Mainly younger and active groups of the population are affected by ear trauma. Therefore, it is of particular concern in the acute setting to select those therapeutic options that have turned out good aesthetic and functional results in the long-term perspective. Language: de