cauliflower ear

cauliflower ear, distortion of the cartilage of the outer ear as the result of an injury. If the injury causes bleeding between the cartilage and the skin, it produces a smooth and rounded purplish swelling. Accumulated clotted blood, if not removed, is transformed into scar tissue, causing permanent, odd-shaped thickening of the outer ear. Because boxers’ and wrestlers’ ears are subjected to so much pounding abuse, cauliflower ear is often associated with those sports.