Cholesteatoma is an abnormal collection of skin cells that can form behind your eardrum. According to Stanford Medicine, cholesteatoma affects approximately one in 20,000 people. We review more about this condition below.
How Does Cholesteatoma Form?
Cholesteatoma begins as a buildup of earwax and skin cells that accumulate behind the eardrum. This can occur if either the eardrum collapses due to injury, infection or surgery, causing a pocket where the cells collect. It can also occur if the Eustachian tubes, which ventilate the middle ear, aren’t working properly and cause negative pressure, retracting the eardrum.
Rarely, cholesteatoma can be present at birth.
What Are the Symptoms of Cholesteatoma?
Some of the symptoms of cholesteatoma include:
- Earache
- Feeling of fullness in the ears
- Hearing loss
- Bad smelling ear drainage
- Recurring ear infections
- Dizziness
- Single-sided facial muscle weakness
These symptoms will likely be local to one ear. It is rare to experience cholesteatoma in both ears at the same time.
What Are the Complications of Cholesteatoma?
In extremely rare cases, untreated cholesteatoma can spread, causing a brain abscess or meningitis.
How Is Cholesteatoma Diagnosed?
Some tests used to diagnose cholesteatoma include:
- Physical exam of the ear
- CT scans
- Hearing tests
- MRI
- Balance tests
How Is Cholesteatoma Treated?
The first line of defense against cholesteatoma is medications to help stop drainage, including oral and topical antibiotics.
In many cases, surgical intervention is required. This surgery is typically performed on an outpatient basis under general anesthesia. Plan to take about two weeks off from work to heal and to come back to the office for follow-up visits.
The goal of the surgery is to remove the skin cells, clear the infection and stop the drainage. During surgery, the physician may need to reconstruct the eardrum, remove bone behind the ear or reconstruct the hearing bones.
Sometimes, a second surgery is necessary to ensure the cholesteatoma has been fully removed before rebuilding the hearing bones. This is performed six to 12 months after the first surgery.
For more information about cholesteatoma or to schedule an appointment to be evaluated, call Red River ENT Associates today.
