Abstract
Middle ear cholesteatoma shows often a gradually expanding growth destroying the temporal bone or ossicles, but is sometimes accompanied by abnormal calcification or ossification called tympanosclerosis. Here we studied the clinical characteristics of cholesteatoma with sclerotic regions. In our hospital 168 patients with cholesteatoma underwent tympanoplasty for the first time from March 2006 to March 2010. Among them, 33 showed sclerotic regions. We compared the patients with sclerotic regions and those without them, and the patients of chronic otitis media with tympanosclerosis. Sclerotic regions were found in any type of cholesteatoma and often existed next to the cholesteatoma matrix. Our findings suggest some close relationship between cholesteatoma and tympanosclerosis. In addition, some unique mechanism may be responsible for sclerotic change in cholesteatoma.
