Skin Malignancies of the Ear

INTRODUCTION The ear is a high-risk location for skin cancer due to frequent sun exposure. The ear’s anatomical features, such as thin skin overlying cartilage, minimal subcutaneous tissue, and close proximity to subcutaneous lymphatic channels, confer increased risk of invasion and metastasis. Cutaneous neoplasms of the ear are common, and the auricle is the third most common site for basal cell carcinomas (BCCs). Squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) also commonly develop on the ear, and they may be more prevalent than BCCs.1 They tend to behave aggressively with high rates of recurrence and metastasis.2,3 Due to the occult location of crevices of the external ear and the potential for a lesion to develop on the posterior aspect, late diagnosis is common. The purpose of this study was to review skin malignancies of the ear in our institution over a 5-year period looking at tumor characteristics, demographics, excision margins, recurrence, and metastatic spread.