The best way to prevent this infection is to avoid ear piercing through the cartilage (not the ear lobe). Since this practice has become more popular, there has been a significant increase in the number of cases of perichondritis and chondritis.
Reviewed last on: 7/14/2006
J.A. Lee, M.D., Division of Surgery, UCSF, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.