Cholesteatoma. A clinical and morphological analysis.

A total of 33 consecutively operated aural cholesteatomas were analysed with regard to preoperative findings and correlated with the morphology of the cholesteatoma tissue. Patients were found in all age groups, 9/33 of the patients were operated at an age below 15 years. A persistent ear discharge had occurred in all patients but in 9 cases the patient history was of less than one year. Impaired hearing was found in 29/33. A demineralization of ossicles was observed at X-ray also in cases in which the ossicular chain appeared normal at operation. In only 5/33 cases was there a retraction of the tympanic membrane without a perforation. The morphological features were the same in both very rapidly and very slowly growing cholesteatomas.