Get answers to your specific medical questions from UM Medical Center experts.
Earlobe creases are superficial lines in the otherwise smooth earlobe of a child or young adult.
The earlobes of children and young adults are normally smooth. Creases are sometimes associated with rare inherited syndromes.
Some studies have found that people with earlobe creases are at greater risk for heart attack than others. More recent research suggests that earlobe creases are more common in older people, and that age, not the presence of creases, accounts for the increased heart attack risk.
Other genetic factors such as race and earlobe shape may also determine who develops earlobe creasing and whether it occurs in childhood or adulthood.
Note: Having one small abnormality in facial features is not uncommon, and is usually not associated with a serious medical condition.
In children, earlobe creases are often associated with rare disorders. One of these is called Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome .
|
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch). |