Peculiar presentation of congenital cholesteatoma in a young girl with congenital canal atresia

Abstract

Congenital cholesteatoma is a rare entity, which traditionally is diagnosed as an incidental finding. The patient typically turns out to clinic complaining of reduced hearing and classical otoscopic finding of congenital cholesteatoma leads to the diagnosis. These may not be the case in a patient with underlying canal atresia which oftentimes may feign the actual pathology. Herein, we present a case of cholesteatoma in a teenage girl with congenital canal atresia who presented with recurrent postauricular abscess. The patient subsequently underwent modified radical mastoidectomy with meatoplasty. We would like to draw attention to the fact that early recognition and intervention are prudent as delaying appropriate management may succumb both patient and physicians to devastating outcomes and unnecessary burden.