There's a hole in my head.

February 12, 2006 3:02 AM

BodyFilter: I have a pin-sized hole in my head. What the hell?

Ever since... for ever, I have had a naturally-made hole just in front of my right ear. It is the width of a pin, and goes in at least three centimetres. It looks like I've had my ear pierced, but the hole goes into my head rather than through my ear. Every few days, I can squeeze white *stuff* out of it that has the consistency of ear wax - but isn't. What on earth is it?
(Apologies if anyone's eating.)

posted by wibbler to health & fitness (20 comments total)

Sounds like a deep pore or "whitehead"
posted by A189Nut at 3:36 AM on February 12, 2006

how did you come up with "three centimetres" ..did you measure that somehow?
posted by Sonic_Molson at 4:34 AM on February 12, 2006

I thought I wouldn't have to explain, Sonic_Molson... to my eternal shame, I put a straightened paper clip down it to check...
posted by wibbler at 4:46 AM on February 12, 2006

Could it be an unclosed pharyngeal pouch or "gill slit"? My father once suspected that I had one. IANAD, but he is.
posted by Psychnic at 4:48 AM on February 12, 2006

I doubt that this helps, but where my ear piercing mostly closed over, I can squeeze white stuff out every three days or so - I figured it was like a pimple. Basically a pocket in the skin that fills up with yech.
posted by b33j at 4:58 AM on February 12, 2006

I just phoned him, it is probably a preauricular pit.
posted by Psychnic at 5:05 AM on February 12, 2006

Not to derail, but, does anyone else think it's a really really bad idea to put random objects down holes in your head?

What if it was a reset button?!
posted by yeoz at 6:27 AM on February 12, 2006 [30 favorites]

More info about preauricular pits here:

"The pits are significant for two reasons. First, they can become infected. An infected pit usually presents as a soft or hard swelling at the helical root. Press on the swollen area, and a drop of pus will emerge from the pit. This can be treated with antibiotics, of course, but if the pit keeps getting infected, you would probably want to have it surgically removed. This can be done under local anesthesia."
posted by iviken at 6:28 AM on February 12, 2006

I have one just below my collarbone, about three inches from my neck. Dunno what it is, though.

yeoz, you made me laugh.
posted by MrMoonPie at 7:10 AM on February 12, 2006

Yeoz, that was the best comment I have read in ages. I still can't stop laughing
posted by smcniven at 7:12 AM on February 12, 2006

flagged yeoz as fantastic
posted by CunningLinguist at 7:38 AM on February 12, 2006

Me too. Still laughing.
posted by mojohand at 7:57 AM on February 12, 2006

Google images has some very clear images of the pits...comparison is probably easiest for the submitter.
posted by Kickstart70 at 10:11 AM on February 12, 2006

Google Images for "preauricular pits"
posted by s.clay.smith at 11:39 AM on February 12, 2006

[ok ok, fantastic hole-in-head joke, please keep responses on-topic or just email the guy]
posted by jessamyn at 2:15 PM on February 12, 2006

LOL...I have them too! One on each ear close to were my ear attaches to my head. Nothing has ever come out of it...I tried for the hell of it to put an earring...only goes in part of the way.

My family and I always thought it was weird....they are symmetric. I never knew what they were, but looking at the Google pics, its definitely a p--whatever pit! I just joke and call them my alien probe sites!
posted by psususe at 2:21 PM on February 12, 2006

The power of MeFi - thanks everyone! Thank god it's nothing worrying...
posted by wibbler at 2:37 PM on February 12, 2006

But the infection part sounds bad. You really don't want that spreading. I would think about surgery. Sounds pretty minor.
posted by Mid at 2:53 PM on February 12, 2006

When I was a kid, I was told they were gils - evolutionary leftover, like webbed toes. Then later was told it was a brachial (?) cleft. Just a couple weeks ago, my ENT told me it was a preauricular pit.
posted by ObscureReferenceMan at 3:36 PM on February 12, 2006

my girlfriend has this very problem too.. she says it feels amazingly good to stick a pin into it to scratch it. I hate the smell of the pus but apparently she enjoys the smell of it. totally harmless but you can get surgery on it to close it.
posted by alex3005 at 6:52 PM on February 12, 2006