My right ear is very hard like bone. I cannot move it. My left ear is okay. What could this be? Thank you.

Don

Your right ear may be "hard like bone" for a very good reason: It's possible that the cartilage and soft tissue have been largely replaced by bone. More commonly, the hardness is due not to actual bone formation, but to build-up of calcium deposits. The medical term for the external ear is "auricle." Thus, your problem is formally called auricular calcification. When the normal tissues of the auricle are replaced by bone, the term auricular ossification is used. Finally, a more general term that is sometimes used for this condition is "auricular petrification" or "a petrified ear" (literally, "turned to stone").

I am throwing these terms at you for two reasons: First, it is not unusual for doctors to drop such terminology on their patients with little explanation. You ought to learn what these terms mean in case you hear them later. Second, it is common nowadays for patients to seek out information from Web sources. You would be far more likely to find useful information if you searched for "auricular calcification" than if you searched for "hard ear."

Now for more terminology: Auricular calcification can be due either to dystrophic or metastatic calcification. "Dystrophic" means "disordered growth," and "metastatic," in this context, means "scattered throughout the body." (The usual context for "metastatic" is cancer: "Metastasis" is the spread of cancer throughout the body. "Metastatic calcification," on the other hand, means "scattered calcium deposits in many tissues.")

Let's consider metastatic calcification first. Your problem probably does not indicate metastatic calcification. Why? Because (unless you're holding information back from me) your right ear is the only part of your body that has calcified. With regard to metastatic calcification, it would be very unusual for one ear to remain normal while the other ear becomes petrified.

Nevertheless, it is very important for a doctor to recognize metastatic calcification, because it is a sign of serious systemic disease (that is, disease involving other parts of your body). Metastatic calcification can occur whenever there is a high level of calcium in the blood (hypercalcemia). Hypercalcemia is seen in many illnesses, including glandular disorders (hyperparathyroidism, hyperthyroidism, Addison's disease), kidney failure, sarcoidosis, cancers of the bone and leukemia. These are all life-threatening illnesses. Thus, even though your petrified ear probably does not indicate metastatic calcification, your doctor should still check your blood calcium level.

Dystrophic calcification, on the other hand, can often occur in isolated areas of the body. That's because dystrophic calcification occurs in tissues that have been injured. Has your right ear ever been frostbitten? Have you ever been struck very hard in this area? Have you had radiation therapy to that side of your head? These are only three examples of the types of injury that may lead to dystrophic calcification of the ear; any severe, focal injury could lead to a petrified ear.

Unfortunately, there is no treatment for this condition. If your right ear is tender, you may want to fashion a ring-shaped foam rubber cushion for it. You would wear this at night to keep pressure off the ear. You should also try to protect this ear from further injury (sunburn, blunt trauma and so forth) to avoid developing chronic pain.