Keloid is most closely associated with which condition?

• A. Chalazion
• B. Cauliflower ear
• C. Otitis media
• D. Conjunctivitis

Answer: (B)

Keloid formation is an overgrowth of scar tissue that occurs after skin injury, due to an abnormal wound-healing response. The ear is a common site for this response because of its exposure to trauma and piercing, and because scar tissue can develop more readily in this region. When the external ear experiences blunt trauma, it can develop damage to the cartilage and surrounding tissue, leading to fibrous scar formation that can take on a thick, raised, and irregular appearance. This scar process in the ear closely aligns with what happens in cauliflower ear, where deformity results from traumatic injury and subsequent scar tissue remodeling of the auricle. Other choices—an eyelid gland blockage causing chalazion, middle-ear infection causing otitis media, or conjunctival inflammation causing conjunctivitis—do not involve this kind of ear-focused scar formation, so they’re not the typical association with keloid.