Bilateral Earlobe Crease as a Marker of Premature Coronary Artery Disease

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases, including heart disease and stroke, are the world's largest killers. More than 800,000 people die from cardiovascular disease each year in the United States (US). Heart disease is estimated to cost 200 billion US Dollars (USD) annually. Early identification of an inexpensive marker which allows for early intervention is the need of the hour. We present a case describing one such marker which can be easily appreciated on physical examination. Several studies have shown, not only the association between the presence of the diagonal earlobe crease (DELC) and coronary artery disease (CAD) but also a correlation with the extent and severity of CAD, independent of cardiovascular risk factors. Our patient who had no known CAD or risk factors presented with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS). On exam, he was noted to have bilateral DELC. Over the course of his workup, he was noted to have severe triple vessel disease and eventually underwent surgical revascularization. We seek to increase awareness of this valuable physical sign which has far-reaching consequences in the prognostication and risk stratification of patients.