Cholesteatoma
What is a cholesteatoma?
- An expanding cyst comprised of dead skin cells behind the eardrum.
- May be congenital or acquired.
What causes a cholestatoma?
- Prolonged retraction of the eardrum.
- Components of the cyst harbor bacteria, which may lead to infection.
- Expansion of the infection into the middle ear space may damage the ossicles (middle ear bones).
Symptoms:
- Ear pain, discharge from the ear, dizziness or balance disturbance.
- Gradual conductive hearing loss (hearing loss in the middle ear) may also occur.
Treatment:
- Surgical removal of the cholesteatoma may be done to prevent damage to the middle and inner ear.
- After diagnosis, your ENT physician may choose to monitor your hearing through egularly scheduled hearing tests.
- An audiologist may help alleviate hearing loss symptoms through the fitting of a hearing aid.
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