Clinical Features of Cholesteatoma in the Normal Hearing Ear / 대한이비인후과학회지

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Cholesteatoma in the normal hearing ear represents a surgical challenge. We aimed to identify the clinical features and surgical results of these patients. SUBJECTS AND METHOD: Sixty-three ears with cholesteatoma had preoperative pure-tone averages of less than 25 dB. Parameters for study were age, location of cholesteatoma, type of tympanoplasty, status of ossicles, and type of mastoidectomy. Postoperative audiogram was evaluated. RESULTS: Hearing was preserved within 30 dB on air conduction audiometry in 60.3% on postoperative 2 months and in 60.5% on postoperative 6 months. The rate of hearing preservation was related to the location of cholesteatoma. Similar hearing outcomes resulted from the comparisions of adult versus children, intact versus reconstructed ossicular chains and open versus closed mastoidectomy. CONCLUSION: Preserving an intact ossicular chain and maintaining an intact canal wall did not have a significant effect on hearing preservation, but the location of cholesteatoma does.