A morphometric study of the external ears at Benin City

Abstract

Background: The study was carried out to establish the normal auricular dimensions in Nigerians resident in Benin City.
Methodology: A cross sectional study of both ears of 1462 Nigerian school children and young adults was carried out. Measurements of the facial height, ear height, ear width, lobule type, lobule height and lobule width were taken. Record was also made of the age, sex and ethnicity of both parents.
Results: The mean (S.D.) facial height in the entire cohort was 180 (20.8) mm. The ear height, ear width, lobule height and lobule width were 55.6 (6.0) mm., 32.4 (4.5) mm., 14.0 (3.8) mm., 16.0 (4.8) mm. and 55.6 (6.0) mm., 32.0 (4.5) mm., 14.0 (3.8) mm., 16.0 (4.8) mm. for the right and left ears respectively. The male facial height was longer than the females’. There were no significant differences in ear parameters for the right and left except for the ear width. Significant sex variations were found among sexes ( p<0.05). When the study population was stratified into various ethnic groups there were significant differences in the ear dimensions (p< 0.05). Children under 18 had significantly smaller ears than adults (p <0.05).
Conclusion: This study documents probably for the first time ear parameters for Nigerians in Benin City as well as establishes significant sexual dimorphism and ethnic variations in the parameters studied.

Keywords: External ear, auricular dimensions, ethnic variation