Prominent ear, otapostasis or bat ear is an abnormally protruding human ear. It may be unilateral or bilateral. The concha is large with poorly developed antihelix and scapha. It is the result of malformation of cartilage during primitive ear development in intrauterine life. The deformity can be corrected anytime after six years of age. The surgery is preferably done at the earliest possible age in order to avoid psychological distress. Correction by otoplasty involves changing the shape of the ear cartilage so that the ear is brought closer to the side of the head. The skin is not removed, but the shape of the cartilage is altered. The surgery does not affect hearing. It is done for cosmetic purposes only. The complications of the surgery, though rare, are keloid formation, hematoma formation, infection and asymmetry between the ears. See also
Cauliflower ear
Incisionless Fritsch otoplasty


== References ==
Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT), also known as fibrous tumor of the pleura, is a rare mesenchymal tumor originating in the pleura or at virtually any site in the soft tissue including seminal vesicle. Approximately 78% to 88% of SFTs are benign and 12% to 22% are malignant. The World Health Organization (2020) classified SET as specific type of tumor in the category of malignant fibroblastic and myofibroblastic tumors. Signs and symptoms
About 80% of pleural SFTs originate in the visceral pleura, while 20% arise from parietal pleura. Although they are often very large tumors (up to 40 cm. in diameter), over half are asymptomatic at diagnosis. While some researchers have proposed that a SFT occupying at least 40% of the affected hemithorax be considered a "giant solitary fibrous tumor", no such "giant" variant has yet been recognized within the most widely used pleural tumor classification scheme.Some SFTs are associated with the paraneoplastic Doege–Potter syndrome, which is caused by tumor production of IGF-2. Pathophysiology
Recurrent somatic fusions of the two genes, NGFI-A–binding protein 2 (NAB2) and STAT6, located at chromosomal region 12q13, have been identified in solitary fibrous tumors. Treatment
The treatment of choice for both benign and malignant SFT is complete en bloc surgical resection. Prognosis
Prognosis in benign SFTs is excellent. About 8% will recur after first resection, with the recurrence usually cured after additional surgery.The prognosis in malignant SFTs is much more guarded. Approximately 63% of patients will have a recurrence of their tumor, of which more than half will succumb to disease progression within 2 years.