Condition Lookup
Category:
Chronic Ear Conditions
Number of Conditions: 1
Cholesteatoma
Specialty: Ear
Category: Chronic Ear Conditions
Sub-category: Infections and Growths
Symptoms:
persistent ear drainage (otorrhea); hearing loss; ear fullness; foul-smelling discharge; dizziness; ear pain in severe cases
Root Cause:
Abnormal growth of keratinizing squamous epithelium in the middle ear or mastoid due to chronic infections or Eustachian tube dysfunction.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Otoscopic examination, CT scan to evaluate the extent of bone destruction, and audiometry to assess hearing loss.
Treatment:
Surgical removal of the cholesteatoma through tympanomastoidectomy; medical management of infection with antibiotics if needed.
Medications:
Antibiotic ear drops (e.g., ciprofloxacin ) for infection control; systemic antibiotics (e.g., amoxicillin-clavulanate) for more extensive infections.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Affects approximately 9–12 per 100,000 annually in developed countries.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic otitis media, Eustachian tube dysfunction, cleft palate, and previous ear surgery.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Good with timely surgical intervention, but recurrence is possible.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Hearing loss, facial nerve paralysis, intracranial infections (e.g., meningitis, brain abscess), and labyrinthitis.