Effective treatment of chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis using a conservative approach.

Abstract

Chondrodermatitis nodularis chronica helicis (CNCH) is usually treated by surgical excision, but is prone to recurrence. To examine whether CNCH could be treated nonsurgically using a home-made, pressure-relieving prosthesis. A retrospective comparison was made of the outcome in 41 subjects treated surgically and 15 treated nonsurgically between 1999 and 2001. Thirteen of the 15 patients (87%) treated nonsurgically were healed at follow-up after 1 month of conservative treatment and so have avoided surgery to date. In contrast, the recurrence rate of the surgically treated group was 14 of 41 (34%) patients. As a result of this study, we recommend that patients presenting with CNCH be managed conservatively in the first instance.