Petrified ear is a rare condition marked by the abnormal stiffening of the ear cartilage that most often involves the pinna and, less commonly, may involve the cartilaginous portion of the external auditory canal.

Petrified ear occurs either from ectopic calcification or ossification of cartilage. Causes include frostbite, mechanical trauma, and long-standing inflammation (dystrophic calcification and ossification). Additionally, there is an association with endocrinopathies, including Addison disease and autoimmune polyendocrine syndrome type 2. The etiopathogenesis of cartilage calcification is unclear in endocrinopathy-related cases.

While petrified ear is rarely symptomatic, pain or discomfort on pressure, such as from sleeping on the affected ear, may occur. Conductive hearing loss from ossification of the ear canal and secondary cerumen impaction has been reported.

Incidental findings of auricular calcification or ossification are relatively common on imaging. A CT-based study identified auricular cartilage calcification in 19.5% of patients undergoing head CT, the majority of whom were asymptomatic. No consistent associations have been found with age, sex, race / ethnicity, or socioeconomic status.