Earlobe creases

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Ear lobe crease

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 syndromes that are passed down through families.

Some studies have found that people with earlobe creases have a 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, such as an earlobe crease, is not uncommon, and is usually not associated with a serious medical condition.

In children, earlobe creases are sometimes associated with rare disorders, including Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

Review Date: 11/12/2010
Reviewed By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).

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