CAULIFLOWER ears, the disfigurement seen by many rugby players and boxers as a badge of honour, could soon be a thing of the past, thanks to a new treatment unveiled by Scots doctors.
Until now, the only ways of improving the condition have been to drain blood from the ear, which is then bound with a tight bandage, or to carry out cosmetic surgery to rebuild it.
But two Glasgow-based ear, nose and throat specialists have devised a new solution which uses moulded silicone splints to support the ear once it has been drained.
Unlike bandages, they support both sides of the ear and allow players to continue training and competing.
Cauliflower ears, known medically as acute auricular haematoma, are caused by repeated blows, causing a build-up of blood between the skin and cartilage. If not treated, the cartilage, which gives the ear its shape, can die, making it shrivel.
Dr Nick Calder, of the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley, and Dr Duncan Macdonald, of Glasgow's Western Infirmary, developed the new treatment.
Dr Calder, who is now based at Gartnavel Hospital, in Glasgow, said: "We spoke to a colleague who makes hearing aids who made a mould of both sides of the ear after it had been drained and then made splints from silicone to provide the support. The best thing about this is it allows sportsmen to keep on playing and training.
"They don't have to go into hospital for surgery. Unfortunately for sportsmen who already have well-developed cauliflower ears, this treatment won't help. It only prevents the condition from developing."
Dr Macdonald said the remedy, revealed in the latest edition of the British Journal of Sports Medicine, could also improve sportsmen's health.
He said: "Cauliflower ears aren't just unsightly - they can cause problems in later life, particularly if people have to wear hearing aids."
The former Scotland rugby international Kenny Logan said: "Despite the macho attitude in the dressing room, I think more and more players think cauliflower ears are a little bit unsightly and not something you really want to be stuck with."
No More Big Ears!
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