Considerations of isolated destruction of the short process of the incus in a case of cholesteatoma.

Cholesteatoma occurs frequently with the destruction of the ossicles. The most commonly eroded ossicle has been reported to be the incus. Many studies report destruction of the long process and body of the incus. However, isolated erosion of the short process of the incus is an unusual finding. We present such a case with a slight conductive hearing loss that remained unchanged at 2 1/2 years postoperatively. The short process of the incus may contribute to hearing up to 10-15 dB. It is also possible that it plays a role in epitympanic aeration by supplying an attachment surface to the incudal folds.