VENOUS LAKE OF CONCHA

Roy F. Sullivan, Ph.D.


Case 1 is that of an 83 year old male patient who presented with a blue, circumscribed lesion in his left, posterior inferior cavum concha. The ear was fitted previously with a Class II canal hearing aid. VOM in figure 1A shows the location of the lesion. Figure 1B presents a VOE view of the lesion.

With referring PCP concurrence, the patient was referred for dermatological consultation. The resulting medical report offers the following diagnostic information:

"On examination he has an 8 x 3 mm. blanchable venous lake within his left ear that is a sign of chronic sun damage, and is neither a cancer nor precancer."


Figure 2, below, presents VOE views the left ear of an 83 year old male patient presenting with a similar circumscribed blue lesion in the left, posterior superior cavum concha. Figure 2A demonstrates the blanchability of the lesion with digital compression. Figure 2B shows the same lesion five seconds after the digital compression.