Preauricular Sinus: A Tale of Forgetful Rediscovery

The preauricular sinus (PAuS) is a congenital foramen, opening or invagination, usually located on the crus of the auricular helix and is considered a congenital malformation and component of multiple syndromes. The structure can be present unilaterally or bilaterally, with the possibility of more than one fistula present on one ear, predominantly on the auricular tags. As a well-defined and established clinical entry, PAuS has a very strictly laid-out history. However, different works of art give us a glimpse into the structure before its first true clinical description, showing that the PAuS was known to man long before it was first clinically described, such as those of Hieronymous Bosch, with the first medical descriptions being attributed to Heusinger and Virchow. In modern times, the condition is considered both an individual malformation and a component of several genetic syndromes.