At the ongoing Rio Olympics, you might notice an odd, somewhat grotesque deformity in the ears of many wrestlers and boxers. The extra skin that you see covering the ears of athletes of these close-contact sports is the result of repeated blows and injuries.
A condition called ‘cauliflower ear’, caused by friction between wrestlers on the mat, leads to the formation of small collections of blood that clot and block the flow of blood and nutrients.
As the injury to the ear heals it can shrivel up and fold in on itself and appear pale, giving it a cauliflower-like appearance, hence the term cauliflower ear.
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Video editor: Sashant Kumar
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