Surgical intervention in middle-ear cholesterol granuloma

Eleven patients who had been surgically treated from 1988 to 1999 were retrospectively reviewed in order to evaluate the efŽcacy of ventilation tube insertion and mastoidectomy with, or without, mastoid obliteration for intractable middle-ear cholesterol granuloma. The mean age registered was 17.2 years at the time of surgical treatment. All cases were unilaterally affected. Five ears were treated with simple mastoidectomy coupled with the insertion of a ventilation tube, while six others had additional mastoid obliteration. The hearing prognosis was excellent with an improved post-operative hearing level of 16.5.dB (cf. pre-operative 37.7.dB). However, morphological prognosis revealed two ears had a residual perforated tympanic membrane without otorrhoea after displacement of the ventilation tube. Of the remaining nine ears with intact placement of the ventilation tube, Žve had dry ears while four had occasional otorrhoea. Although the morphological prognosis was incomplete, treatments involving at least an insertion of a ventilation tube with thorough mastoidectomy were thought to be necessary.

Digital Object Identifier:10.1258/002221503321626366
Published with permission from the copyright holder. This is the institute's copy, as published in Journal of Laryngology & Otology, May 2003, Volume 117, Issue 5, Pages 344-348.
Publisher URL:http://dx.doi.org/10.1258/002221503321626366
Copyright © Royal Society of Medicine Press Limited 2003. All rights reserved.