This presents as a nodule of the ear that usually is asymptomatic. Bilateral cases and cases from children are rare.
Most cases are sporadic, but a few have been associated with chondromalacia.
Various modes of successful treatment involve drainage with or without the application a compression bandage following drainage. The nodule is the result of a split in the ear cartilage, and this split fills with fluid. The fluid has been variously described as serous, viscous, and serosanguinous. The external lining of the cyst varies from case to case, and this has resulted in several theories of pathogenesis. The lining in this case is composed of fibrous tissue.