Protruding ears, also known as otapostasis, is an inherited problem that is classified as having abnormally prominent ears. It is a result of the malformation of cartilage during a person’s development before birth and may be either unilateral or bilateral.
The bowl-shaped part of the human ear, known as the concha, is often larger than normal in prominent ears, with other parts of the outer ear being poorly developed.
This issue affects 1-2% of the population, and while protruding ears do not generally affect hearing, many people choose to have them corrected for cosmetic purposes. This kind of problem can often affect one’s self-esteem as the shape of the ear has a large effect on the look of the whole face.