Cystic chondromalacia of the auricle treated with dual-plane excision with intracartilaginous dissection.

Cystic chondromalacia of the auricle is an uncommon condition in which a degenerative process occurs within the cartilage. The disorder affects young and middle-aged people. Clinically, it manifests as a painless, fluctuant swelling that frequently relapses despite various therapeutic approaches. In this article we report a typical case of cystic chondromalacia of the auricle that was successfully treated by surgery-specifically, dual-plane dissection-and we briefly review the literature.