A painful bump on or around the ear may be a boil, which occurs when a bacterial skin infection develops in a hair follicle or oil gland. Over time, pus collects in the lump. Boil sometimes go away, ...

What is a carbuncle? A carbuncle is a connected group of boils that stem from an infection of the skin. “They are sometimes confused for a spider bite,” said Dr. Allison Arthur, a dermatologist and ...