Cholesteatoma. Experimental induction in the Mongolian Gerbil, Meriones Unguiculaus.

Surgical ligation of the external auditory canal of the Mongolian gerbil produces aural cholesteatomas that are similar to the spontaneous gerbilline cholesteatoma. Some 6-9 months after ligation of the external auditory canal, these cholesteatomas are in contact with the bone of the middle ear. These induced cholesteatomas were seen to erode bone and displace soft tissue structures, as is typical of human aural cholesteatomas. The induced gerbilline cholesteatoma is an ideal experimental model for the study of the osteolytic characteristics of cholesteatoma.