What is a cupped ear?
A cupped ear is one where the outer rim of the ear is folded over into the ear. This gives the ear a cup-like shape. It is a congenital ear condition, making it present at birth.
This feature can be mild to severe. In the most severe cases, the outer part of the ear is tightly rolled over, it is then also usually accompanied by anomalies in the inner ear which can affect hearing.
Understanding ear-related symptoms and features
Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.
The ear is a part of the auditory system of the body. The auditory system includes the ear itself and its parts: the inner, middle, and outer ear.
Symptoms affecting the ears may be congenital, present at birth, or they may develop later in life. Sometimes surgery may be an option to correct them.
Symptoms relating to the ears may affect their structure and function including their ability to hear, other times they may simply affect the shape or appearance of the ear without any impact on hearing.
Potential Hearing Impact: While the condition is typically cosmetic, severe cases may affect the ear’s ability to capture sound, potentially leading to mild hearing issues if associated with other ear abnormalities.
What should I do next?
In some instances, a cupped ear may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Cupped Ear, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist. Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis. FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.