What is bilateral cholesteatoma?

What is bilateral cholesteatoma?

A cholesteatoma is an abnormal, noncancerous skin growth that can develop in the middle section of your ear, behind the eardrum. It may be a birth defect, but it’s most commonly caused by repeated middle ear infections. A cholesteatoma often develops as a cyst, or sac, that sheds layers of old skin.

Is cholesteatoma unilateral or bilateral?

Cholesteatomas of the external canal are usually unilateral and have associated symptoms of otalgia and otorrhea.

What does a cholesteatoma look like?

Cholesteatoma is the name given to a collection of skin cells deep in the ear that form a pearly-white greasy-looking lump deep in the ear, right up in the top of the eardrum (the tympanic membrane).

What is cholesteatoma made of?

A cholesteatoma consists of squamous epithelium that is trapped within the middle ear space; it can erode and destroy vital structures within the temporal bone. Epitympanic (attic) cholesteatoma.

Can cholesteatoma be bilateral?

Results: Patients with bilateral cholesteatoma were more likely to be men (60% v 61%) and young (28 years v 38 years). A majority of patients underwent canal wall down mastoidectomy. Seventy-three percent of patients had ossicular erosion. During follow-up, residual recurrent cholesteatoma was found in 8 ears (7.4%).

Is a cholesteatoma serious?

Is it dangerous? Ear cholesteatomas can be dangerous and should never be ignored. Bone erosion can cause the infection to spread into the surrounding areas, including the inner ear and brain. If untreated, deafness, brain abscess, meningitis, and rarely death can occur.

How common is bilateral cholesteatoma?

Aquino40 found bilateral cholesteatomas in 19.6% of cases; the contralateral ear was normal in 47.6% of cases.

How is cholesteatoma treated?

Although surgery is rarely urgent, once a cholesteatoma is found, surgical treatment is the only choice. Surgery usually involves a mastoidectomy to remove the disease from the bone, and tympanoplasty to repair the eardrum.

Can cholesteatoma cause death?

Cholesteatoma can erode bone, including the three bones of hearing, which may cause infection to spread to the inner ear or brain. These infections can lead to meningitis, brain abscess, facial paralysis, dizziness (vertigo), and even death.

Is cholesteatoma a fungus?

Conclusion: Fungal colonisation in middle-ear cleft cholesteatoma probably plays a significant role in disease progression. Moreover, saprophytic fungal colonisation in cholesteatoma keratin may be responsible for the fetor commonly associated with the ear discharge.

What doctor treats cholesteatoma?

Cholesteatoma Treatment An ENT doctor can confirm the presence of a Cholesteatoma. Initial treatment may consist of a careful cleaning of the ear, antibiotics, and eardrops. Therapy aims to stop drainage in the ear by controlling the infection.

Can cholesteatoma spread to the brain?

Over time, the cholesteatoma can get bigger and destroy the delicate bones inside and around the middle ear. In extreme cases a cholesteatoma can start to affect the brain. It can cause pus to pool in the brain (called an abscess) or an infection of the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord (called meningitis).