“Petrified Ears” in Secondary Adrenal Insufficiency

Abstract

Petrification of the auricle, a rarely encountered clinical entity usually results from ectopic calcification of the auricular cartilages and manifests as rigid ear. The underlying pathogenesis remains ambiguous with several proposed hypotheses till date. Auricular calcification may be the sole cutaneous marker of underlying endocrinopathy at times. Adrenal insufficiency is the most common endocrinological disorder to be associated with such stiff ears and it has been described in both primary as well as secondary forms of the disease. We present here a 30-year-old man whose clinical condition deteriorated following levothyroxine supplementation and the presence of “petrified ears” ultimately provided a clue to the diagnosis of associated secondary adrenal insufficiency.

Keywords

• auricular calcification
• partial empty sella