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Scott and White Memorial Hospital, Temple, TX, USA.
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Editor’s note: Chondrodermatitis nodularis helices (CNH) is a benign but painful indurated nodule that occurs on the helix or antihelix of the ear in older patients. As it is tends to be very symptomatic and interferes with sleep, treatment, which usually comprises surgical intervention, is often necessary. CNH has recently been postulated to be the end result of pinna dermal and chondral ischemia arising from perichondrial arteriolar narrowing. In such cases, nitroglycerin would help with smooth muscle relaxation and vasodilation, restoring adequate blood flow and reversing the ischemic change.