Intentional Residual Cholesteatomas in Planned Staged Tympanoplasty

Abstract

We treated 187 primary cases of cholesteatoma by mastoid surgery between 1985 and 1990. Of 187 cases,137 cases underwent tympanoplasty. Although we performed radical surgery on cases which had the matrix tightly adhering to the foot plate, we have recently carried out planned staged tympanoplasty with an intact canal wall technique. In 4 cases, we have intentionally left a tiny part of the matrix during the initial surgery to avoid surgical damage to the inner ear. Each remnant of the matrix had formed a keratin-containing cyst resembling a pearl by the time of the second surgery and in all the cases, these cysts could be easily removed without causing any inner ear damage.