What is a cholesteatoma? What are the causes? What are the signs and symptoms? How can it be diagnosed? How can it be treated? What are the complications? Can it be prevented? All of this answered, in this post and of course our doctors always there to help you. Just fill in your details in the form down below and we will answer all your questions for FREE!
Cholesteatoma is an abnormal cystic growth of skin in the middle ear behind the eardrum.
Cholesteatoma is non-cancerous, but over time it can increase in size and destroy/erode the small hearing bones (malleus, incus, stapes) that carry sound in the middle ear.
There can be two different causes of cholesteatoma-
1.Congenital cholesteatoma- It is a rare birth defect, which can form in the middle ear or in other areas of the ear as well.
2.Acquired cholesteatoma- It usually occurs due to poor functioning of eustachian tube function as well as infection in the middle ear.
The eustachian tube helps to equalize ear pressure and allows air to flow through the ear. Common causes of improper functioning of the eustachian tube are-
• Cold or sinus infections
• Allergies
• Chronic ear infections
When the eustachian tube does not work properly, the pressure within the middle ear can pull part of the eardrum the wrong way, creating a sac or cyst that can turn into a cholesteatoma. The growth gradually fills up with old skin cells, fluids, and other waste materials and becomes larger. Injury to the eardrum can also be one of the causes of cholesteatoma.
The symptoms related to a cholesteatoma typically start out mild. They become more severe as the size of the cyst grows and begin to cause problems within your ear.
• A foul-smelling fluid, from the affected ear initially
• Growing cyst creates a sense of pressure in the ear, with discomfort
• Aching pain in or behind your ear, especially at night
• Tinnitus or Dizziness
• Difficulty in hearing
• In severe cases, where the cyst continues to grow unchecked, vertigo, facial muscle paralysis, and permanent hearing loss can happen.
• Examination of the inside of the ear through an otoscope. An Otoscope helps the doctor to check if there are signs of a growing cyst, with a visible deposit of skin cells or a large mass of blood vessels in the ear.
• Hearing test, or audiogram
• CT scan- This will help to visualize the cyst or rule out other possible causes of your symptoms.
• MRI
• Careful cleaning of the ear
• Ear drops
• Antibiotics
• Surgery- Common surgical procedures include tympanoplasty, mastoidectomy, tympanomastoidectomy which usually depends upon the location and size of cholesteatoma. The cyst must be removed to stop the complications that can occur if the size of the cyst grows larger.
Cholesteatomas are often dangerous and should never be ignored. As, it usually spread to surrounding areas, including the inner ear and brain, and may cause bone erosion.
• Destruction of the surrounding ear bones, the eardrum, the bones near the brain, and the nerves of the face. Permanent hearing loss can occur, if the bones within the ear are damaged.
• Chronic infection of the ear
• Form a bony abscess (mastoiditis)
• Paralysis of the facial muscles
• Meningitis, which is a life-threatening brain infection
• Brain abscesses, or collections of pus within the brain
• Congenital cholesteatomas cannot be prevented.
• Prevention of acquired cholesteatomas can be done by treating ear infections quickly and thoroughly. It’s important to treat cholesteatomas as early as possible to prevent further complications to occur.
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i found it helpful and informative.
I found it informative and helpful.