Preauricular tag or pit

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Medical findings based on ear anatomy

Newborn ear anatomy

Overview

Treatment

Preauricular tag or pit

Alternative Names:

Ear tag

Call your health care provider if:

This finding is usually discovered by the health care provider during the first well-baby examination. However, if there is bleeding, swelling, or discharge at the site, you should call your health care provider.

What to expect at your health care provider's office:

The medical history will be obtained and a physical examination performed.

Medical history questions documenting this condition in detail may include:

What exactly is the problem (skin tag, pit, or other)?
Are both ears affected or only one?
What other symptoms are also present?
Does the child respond normally to sounds?

Physical examination:

The baby will be examined for other signs of disorders that are sometimes associated with preauricular tags or pits. A hearing test may be performed if the usual newborn screening test was not performed.

After seeing your health care provider:

If a diagnosis was made by your health care provider associated with preauricular tags or pits, you may want to note that diagnosis in your personal medical record.

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Daniel Rauch, MD, FAAP, Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, NYU School of Medicine, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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