The Petrified Ear – A Manifestation of Dystrophic Calcification

Petrified ear Dystrophic calcification Diabetes mellitus Renata Strumia, MD, Clinica Dermatologica Università, Via Savonarola 9, I-44100 Ferrara (Italy), Tel. +39 532 205825, Fax +39 532 206791 The petrified ear (PE) is a rare condition in which the ears become stone-hard [1-4]. The real aetiology is still unknown, but many patho-genetic factors are reported in the literature (table 1). We report a case in which the only demonstrable cause was diabetes. Dystrophic damage of the cartilage following diabetic micro-angiopathy might be one of the pathogenetic stimuli of this rare entity. A 75-year-old male who worked as a guard until he was 60, presented with an ulcerated plaque localized on his left ear. The lesion