Hi

Thanks for the query

The small painful bump over the antihelix could be either due to hematoma (the collection of the blood below the perichondrium of the cartilage) or an allergic reaction to the insect bite.

Auricular hematoma is a condition that occurs when the external portion of the ear suffers a blunt injury with accumulation of blood clot or other collection of fluid under the perichondrium (the layer covering the cartilage - the soft bone). The lesion appears red and swollen often tender to touch because of the stretching of the tight perichondrium.

Likewise even an insect bite can mimic a hematoma. In this case, the inflammatory exudates tend to collect below the skin causing redness and stretching of the skin.

The cause can be identified only after a thorough examination. Hence I would advise you to consult a good ENT(Ear Nose Throat) specialist for the treatment of the same.

Hope I have answered your query; I will be available for the follow-up queries.

Regards
Dr. Naveen Kumar N.
ENT and Head & Neck Surgeon

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