Suppressed mastoid pneumatization in cholesteatoma.

Mastoid pneumatization size was studied by X-ray in 289 patients with otitis media (134 with cholesteatoma and 155 with chronic suppurative otitis media (COM) and 73 patients with traumatic tympanic membrane perforation (controls). The results demonstrated that mastoid pneumatization in the diseased ear of cholesteatoma patients was greatly suppressed. In these patients, the contralateral ear also showed significant suppression compared with controls; mastoid pneumatization size in the healthy ear contralateral to cholesteatoma was similar to that in patients cured of otitis media with effusion (OME). Hence, we conclude that cholesteatoma is a sequela of OME in childhood.