Preauricular sinuses (ear pits) are common congenital abnormalities. Usually asymptomatic, they manifest as small dells adjacent to the external ear near the anterior margin of the ascending limb of the helix, most frequently on the right side. Preauricular sinuses can be either inherited or sporadic. When inherited, they show an incomplete autosomal dominant pattern with reduced penetrance and variable expression. They may be bilateral, increasing the likelihood of being inherited, in 25-50% of cases. Preauricular sinuses are features of other conditions or syndromes in 3-10% of cases, primarily in association with deafness and branchio-oto-renal (BOR) syndrome. When other congenital anomalies coexist with these sinuses, auditory testing and renal ultrasound should be considered. Sinuses may become infected, most commonly with gram-positive bacteria, in which case their exudates should be cultured and appropriate antibiotics administered. Recurrent infection is a clear indication for complete excision and provides the only definitive cure. Recurrence rates after surgery range from 9% to 42%. Meticulous excision by an experienced head and neck surgeon minimizes the risk of recurrence.

Patients with advanced seminoma who have normal radiographs or residual masses less than 3 cm after chemotherapy can be observed without further intervention. The following three options exist for patients with a residual mass > or = 3 cm: observation, radiotherapy, or surgical intervention. We prefer the latter to define response, resect viable tumor when possible, and direct further treatment.

A 3-month-old healthy girl had a cyst present from birth, located in the midline, in the area of the anterior fontanel. A magnetic resonance imaging was performed at age 7 months, which did not show communication between the cyst and the central nervous system. At a subsequent examination, while the cyst was being probed, it broke and expressed clear fluid. The cyst was subsequently removed surgically and was found histopathologically to be an epidermal inclusion cyst without communication with the central nervous system. Epidermal inclusion cysts very rarely occur on the midline in the area of the anterior fontanel, and none have been reported to contain clear fluid. Their proper management requires focused clinical assessment, noninvasive imaging, and consideration of surgical removal, in particular, if they communicate with the intracranial space.