The Mystery of the Green Ear Is Solved in the Dental Operatory
A young Canadian man had a large green mark, labeled “scar tissue” by physicians, on the back of his ear for more than 20 years. However, one trip to the dentist and the mystery is solved.
When Matt Aitia was 10 years old, his dad caved into his pressure and allowed him to get his ear pierced. The piercing did not last long as Aitia’s mom was not a fan and insisted he remove it. Soon after a large green area appeared on the back of his ear lobe. He visited physicians and dermatologists who all said the same thing, “It’s just scar tissue and only a cosmetic issue.”
Aitia hardly noticed it except when others commented on his “green ear.” Twenty years later, the mystery of the green ear has been solved … in the dental office. While visiting a new practice for a routine prophylaxis, the clinician recommended a panoramic radiograph, something he’d never had done before. Low and behold, the X-ray showed the post to an earring lodged inside of his ear lobe. The inexpensive earring had oxidized long ago, leaving behind a distinctive green mark on his ear lobe.
Aitia posted about his experience on Instagram and was contacted by a plastic surgeon who has offered to remove it, putting an end to the “green ear mystery.” Click here to see the panoramic radiograph.
