SAEM Clinical Image Series: Left Ear Mass

ear mass

A 25-year-old male who was previously healthy presents to the emergency department with a painful left posterior ear mass. The mass began as a “pimple” and has been increasing in size for the last 6 months. He has an associated headache, dizziness, and malaise. He denies fever, trauma, drainage, known insect bite, dysphagia, dyspnea, trismus, and hearing loss. He emigrated to the United States from Honduras 8 months ago. He was seen in the emergency department 4 months prior for a similar complaint, which was diagnosed as lymphadenopathy by point-of-care ultrasound.

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