Cholesteatomas are skin-lined cysts that begin at the edge of the eardrum and invade the middle ear as well as the mastoid. The condition develops when part of the eardrum collapses, resulting in an abnormal collection of skin cells deep inside your ear.
Cholesteatomas can develop when the eardrum gets injured, infected or even after having surgery on the ear. In some rare cases, you can be born with it.
Cholesteatomas are not very common but can show up at any age. They are more common among men than women.
What is the most common cause of cholesteatoma?
Normally, dead skin cells pass out of the ear, but a collapsed eardrum may create a pocket where they collect.
If your eustachian tube isn’t working correctly, a part of your ear drum may be sucked into the middle ear. This part of the ear connects the back of the nose to the middle of the ear.
When this happens, old skin cells, fluids, and other waste materials may be clumped together. A cyst may form in the process, which can then become a cholesteatoma.
What are the symptoms of cholesteatoma?
Symptoms of cholesteatomas normally only affect one ear. These include:
- Tinnitus
- Vertigo
- Mastoiditis
- Labyrinthitis
- discharge running from the ear is often watery and smelly
- Eventually losing the ability to hear in the affected ear
- Face feeling numb on the side where the infection is
- In rare cases, Meningitis or a brain abscess
What is the danger of cholesteatoma?
Cholesteatoma grows rapidly. It is common for it to become infected because it retains bacteria. When cholesteatomas remain untreated for a long time, they can grow into other parts of your ear.
Cholesteatoma can infect your inner ear or your brain. It can also cause bone erosion, which can destroy the bones that are responsible for carrying sound. This can ultimately lead to hearing loss.
How do you treat Cholesteatoma?
To treat cholesteatoma, you must undergo surgery. It is not urgent, but it should be done nonetheless. A patient may have to undergo mastoidectomy to remove the disease from the bone, and tympanoplasty to repair the eardrum.
In some cases, it may call for a follow up operation to ensure that the infection is completely removed and the chances of it growing back is zero.
Regardless of whether you have cholesteatoma or not, frequent check ups with an ENT doctor are a must. This helps detect any problems that may grow to be a bigger one in the future.
You can visit Hearing Solutions, located in Century Plaza Complex, Juana Osmeña St, Cebu City. You can also visit our Consolacion branch for service. It can be found in the CPG Arcade, on North Road, in Consolacion.
To book an appointment, you can call us at 0932 788 1168 or message us on Facebook.
