[Ear piercing and auricular chondritis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa].

This paper describes five patients who had undergone transcartilaginous ear piercing and were infected with Pseudomonas aeruginosa, which led to perichondrial abscess. Early treatment of chondritis with aggressive surgical therapy combined with relevant antibiotics results in good healing and a minimal loss of cartilage. The literature review and cases presented show that piercing is not harmless and that regulation of the piercing business would seem to be desirable.