Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Accessory tragus ear mass in 6-month-old pit bull puppy
By Lee, B H et al.·Published in Journal of comparative pathology·2020·Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory and Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Accessory Tragus: A Rare Congenital Anomaly in a Dog.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A 6-month-old male American pit bull terrier was brought in for a small, hair-covered growth on the left side of his face, near his ear. This growth, known as an accessory tragus, is a rare congenital issue that is usually harmless. The vet confirmed it was made of normal skin and some fatty tissue, and it was not causing any problems for the puppy. While this condition is more commonly seen in humans, the vet recommended removing the growth to prevent any future irritation. The puppy recovered well after the procedure.
People also search for: dog ear growth treatment · pit bull congenital ear issue · puppy skin lump removal
Abstract
Accessory tragus is a congenital malformation of part of the external ear, commonly reported in humans. Clinically, it is a benign, cutaneous mass located anywhere between the tragus of the ear and the angle of the mouth, along the migratory path of the first branchial arch. An accessory tragus was diagnosed in an otherwise healthy six-month-old male castrated American pit bull terrier that had a haired, pedunculated cutaneous mass on the left maxillary region from birth. Histologically, the mass was a polypoid extension of histologically normal haired skin with a central core of subcutaneous adipose tissue and well-differentiated elastic cartilage. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of this lesion in a non-human species. Retrospective examination of records from 2008 to 2018 at the Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory failed to identify any other case. As accessory tragus in humans is commonly linked with other congenital anomalies and syndromes, recognition of this lesion in animals may aid in early discovery of other congenital defects and inform adequate excision of the lesion to prevent chondrodermatitis.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32958153/