Anthropometric analysis of the normal auricle in the adult Egyptian population: a large-scale cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Anthropometry is the scientific study of human body measurements. The auricle has long been a subject of interest in anthropometric research due to its variability in size and shape. Aim This study aimed to investigate the anthropometric variations of the auricle in the adult Egyptian population using standardized measurements. Patients and methods This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted over a one-year period at the Otorhinolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery (ORL-HNS) outpatient clinic of Mansoura University Hospitals, Egypt. A total of 1,200 adult Egyptian participants (yielding 2,400 auricles) were included. Anthropometric measurements of the auricle were obtained using standardized techniques to assess auricular length, auricular width, lobular length, and lobular width for both right and left ears. Results Auricular length and width measurements for both right and left ears demonstrated excellent discriminatory power between sexes. The analysis revealed that males had significantly higher mean values for auricular length, auricular width, lobular length, lobular width, conchal length, and conchal width compared to females, with p -values less than 0.001. Conclusion Establishing normative auricular measurements is essential for the diagnosis and management of congenital anomalies, syndromic conditions, and acquired deformities. These data also support applications in reconstructive surgery, forensic identification, and the design of hearing aid devices.