Comments on: There's a hole in my head.

Question: There's a hole in my head.

wibbler — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 03:02:20 -0800

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.)

By: A189Nut

A189Nut — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 03:36:51 -0800

Sounds like a deep pore or "whitehead"

By: Sonic_Molson

Sonic_Molson — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:34:32 -0800

how did you come up with "three centimetres" ..did you measure that somehow?

By: wibbler

wibbler — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:46:10 -0800

I thought I wouldn't have to explain, Sonic_Molson... to my eternal shame, I put a straightened paper clip down it to check...

By: Psychnic

Psychnic — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:48:44 -0800

Could it be an unclosed pharyngeal pouch or "gill slit"? My father once suspected that I had one. IANAD, but he is.

By: b33j

b33j — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 04:58:25 -0800

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.

By: Psychnic

Psychnic — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 05:05:06 -0800

I just phoned him, it is probably a preauricular pit.

By: yeoz

yeoz — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 06:27:33 -0800

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?!

By: iviken

iviken — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 06:28:38 -0800

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."

By: MrMoonPie

MrMoonPie — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 07:10:19 -0800

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

yeoz, you made me laugh.

By: smcniven

smcniven — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 07:12:13 -0800

Yeoz, that was the best comment I have read in ages. I still can't stop laughing

By: CunningLinguist

CunningLinguist — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 07:38:06 -0800

flagged yeoz as fantastic

By: mojohand

mojohand — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 07:57:44 -0800

Me too. Still laughing.

By: Kickstart70

Kickstart70 — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 10:11:29 -0800

Google images has some very clear images of the pits...comparison is probably easiest for the submitter.

By: s.clay.smith

s.clay.smith — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 11:39:59 -0800

Google Images for "preauricular pits"

By: jessamyn

jessamyn — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:15:38 -0800

[ok ok, fantastic hole-in-head joke, please keep responses on-topic or just email the guy]

By: psususe

psususe — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:21:11 -0800

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!

By: wibbler

wibbler — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:37:36 -0800

The power of MeFi - thanks everyone! Thank god it's nothing worrying...

By: Mid

Mid — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 14:53:17 -0800

But the infection part sounds bad. You really don't want that spreading. I would think about surgery. Sounds pretty minor.

By: ObscureReferenceMan

ObscureReferenceMan — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 15:36:11 -0800

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.

By: alex3005

alex3005 — Sun, 12 Feb 2006 18:52:10 -0800

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.