Accessory auricles affecting the tragus and cheek occurring with cervical chondrocutaneous branchial remnants: A case report

Accessory auricles are protruding skin lesions commonly affecting the tragus, preauricular region, and cheeks. Similar lesions, termed cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants, may occur in the neck; however, they are thought to have a differing development origin to accessory auricles. Accessory auricles affecting the face are believed to be derived from the first branchial arch, whereas cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants are believed to be derived from the second branchial arch and more caudal-related structures. Cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants occur at a frequency lower than accessory auricles affecting the face, with a very rare co-occurrence. Here, we report the case of a 6-month-old girl with 4 congenital chondroid masses at 3 distinct sites: the right tragus, right cheek, and bilateral cervical regions. All masses were excised and diagnosed as accessory auricles and cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants following histopathological analysis. The patient had no other coexisting conditions.We conducted a literature search and found only 5 previously reported Japanese cases with co-occurrence of cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants and accessory auricles affecting the face. To our knowledge, this study is the first to present a case with the coexistence of cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants and accessory auricles affecting the tragus and cheek. We believe the occurrence of cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants in this case was not associated with the occurrence of accessory auricles affecting the tragus and cheek. However, an association cannot be completely ruled out as there are cases suggesting an association between the occurrence of cervical chrondrocutaneous branchial remnants and the development of auricles; the mechanisms underlying this development remains unelucidated. Therefore, further reports and studies are required.