The auricle is the external ear or pinna. The auricle picks up sound waves and channels them into the auditory canal.

Complete or partial loss of one or both may be congenital (microtia), traumatic or secondary to surgical ablation.

Signs and symptoms may include a noticeable deformity of the outer ear, a hematoma, or laceration. A cyst or a visible lesion also may be present. A conductive hearing loss may result with involvement of the external auditory meatus or middle ear.

Tests may include a comprehensive physical examination, otoscopy, and audiometric tests. There also may be pathological studies for evaluation of a tumor. Computed tomography (CT) scans of the temporal bones and neck may be indicated.

Treatment may include reconstructive surgery, prosthesis a hearing aid or both.

Residuals may include deformity of the outer ear, possible ipsilateral hearing loss, and a hearing aid. The person may need counseling due to altered body image.

• Compensation is payable for the combinations of service-connected and nonservice-connected disabilities specified in 38 CFR 3.383(a)(3) (see below) as if both disabilities were service-connected, provided the nonservice-connected disability is not the result of the veteran's own willful misconduct.
• Hearing impairment in one ear compensable to a degree of 10 percent or more as a result of service-connected disability and hearing impairment as a result of nonservice-connected disability that meets the provisions of 38 CFR 3.385 in the other ear.

Notes

• Consider 38 CFR 4.118, Schedule of Ratings - Skin.
• Rate tissue loss of the auricle only under DC 6207.
• Take into consideration unretouched color photographs when evaluating under the skin criteria.
• Separately evaluate disabling effects other than disfigurement that are associated with individual scar(s) of the head, face, neck such as pain, instability, and residuals of associated muscle or nerve injury, under the appropriate diagnostic code(s) with the evaluation assigned under this diagnostic code.
• The characteristics of disfigurement may be caused by one scar or by multiple scars: the characteristics required to assign a particular evaluation need not be caused by a single scar in order to assign that evaluation.
• 38 CFR 4.87 [Schedule of ratings-ear]