External canal cholesteatoma: Clinical findings and modalities of management

Abstract

Objective: to review our experience in patients with external auditory canal cholesteatoma.Study design: Retrospective chart reviewSetting: King Abdulaziz University Hospital and Prince Sultan Military Medical CityMethods: A retrospective wchart review of all patients between 2009 and 2012 with the diagnosis of external auditory canal cholesteatoma were included. The data included age, sex, presenting symptoms, duration of symptoms, clinical and radiological findings and modalities of management . Patients with incomplete data were excluded. A Microscoft Excel® program (Microsoft Corporation, Seattle, Washington) used for analysis and plotting charts and tables.Results: A total of thirteen patients with 15 ears found. Eight females and five male patients with age range between 12 and 50 years with a mean age of 31 years. The most common presenting symptom was otorrhea. Ten patients had a history of hearing loss. The duration symptoms varied between one to fifteen years. Three patients had history of trauma to temporal bone while seven patients had history of exposure to radiation therapy for nasopharyngeal carcinoma several years previously. In five patients no causes could be identified. Six patients underwent surgery and one of them had developed partial facial paralysis House-Brackmann grade III which recovered completely within six months.Conclusion: External auditory canal cholesteatoma can be easily missed if careful examination is not carried out. Early diagnosis and management is paramount if serious complications are to be prevented.