Auricular Hematomas in a High-Volume Trauma Population: A Retrospective Review

Study design: Retrospective review.

Objective: Auricular hematomas are generally associated with sports-related injuries, with studies predominantly in white populations and high neighborhood socioeconomic status (NSES) compared to our county. A previous population-based study of trauma patients in our county, Shelby County, Tennessee, shows that those who live in high vs low NSES experienced socioeconomic variation in injury. We aim to determine if differences exist in clinical management and outcomes in this population.

Methods: Patients from two hospital systems diagnosed with auricular hematomas from 2008-2023 were reviewed retrospectively. Inclusion criteria included adequate follow-up, clinical description of the hematoma, and comment on any complications or recurrence.

Results: 48 patients, with a median age of 28 (range: 0-83), with the most common etiology being assault/non-accidental trauma (NAT) at 41.7%, equally distributed across all NSES (P = .30), with one sports-related injury. Facial trauma consults were associated with lower recurrence rates, 25% vs 62.5% (P = .003) and were less likely to be placed for self-pay patients (P = .019). Bolster placement resulted in lower recurrence rates, 23.3% compared to 58.3% (P = .030).

Conclusions: Higher rates of assault/NAT etiologies existed in our population, independent of NSES. Our study reiterates the importance of facial trauma consultation and bolster usage to reduce recurrence.