ABSTRACT
In vernacular parlance, the term “ear” evokes an image of that bilaterally symmetric, cartilage-framed, cranial appendage known as the pinna or auricle. This structure acts to focus and localize sound; otoplasty (surgical correction of lop ears), if not properly done, can increase the error in the latter function from 4° to 20° (1). The pinna normally rests at an angle of 30° to the sagittal plane of the head, while the concha lies at an angle of 90° (15°) to the bony cortex of the mastoid (2). The pinna’s growth parallels overall body growth until approximately nine years of age; in general, the left ear is smaller than the right (2). This text is not concerned with auricular congenital deformities and diseases. Suffice it to say that, due to the multi-component nature of its embryologic development, the pinna manifests a wide variety of configurations. Despite this variability, there are certain relatively constant features that can be recognized in the human ear.
