Ear Nose and Throat Diseases Specialist Assoc. Dr. Yavuz Selim Yıldırım stated that the most dangerous of all ear infections is cholesteatoma. He said that after ear infections, the epithelium of the eardrum continues to grow and dissolves the surrounding structures, and serious health problems may occur. How does a cholesteatoma occur? How Is Cholesteatoma Treated? What Happens If Cholesteatoma Is Not Treated? What Should Be Done to Prevent Cholesteatoma?
How does a cholesteatoma occur?
The most common form of occurrence is manifested by the collapse of the eardrum as a result of the eardrum and/or middle ear inflammation, and the melting of the ossicles that continue to grow inward, and a foul-smelling ear discharge.
As the eustachian tube connecting the middle ear to the nose does not work properly, negative pressure occurs in the middle ear, a collapse occurs in the eardrum due to this pressure, and a chronic middle ear inflammation occurs due to infection in the collapsed places after the pool and sea. Cholesteatoma is the inevitable end if the infections that occur in these collapses with pocketing are not treated mostly.
Cholesteatoma, although rare, can occur from birth. Such conditions can be detected and treated in health screenings or if the child complains of hearing loss.
Frequent middle ear infections and recurrent ear infections should be followed up by a specialist. Cholesteatoma can often be recognized by an experienced ENT specialist during the examination. This devastating and devastating infection can destroy everything in the surrounding tissues.
How Is Cholesteatoma Treated?
Assoc. Dr. Yavuz Selim Yıldırım, The only treatment for cholesteatoma is surgery. It should be operated immediately as soon as the diagnosis is made. He especially emphasized that cholesteatoma cannot be treated with drugs, radiation and chemotherapy.
The diagnosis is made by an experienced Otorhinolaryngologist, pathology is not needed to make the diagnosis, but thin-section ear tomography should usually be performed. From the follow-up of cholesteatoma, it can be followed whether it is renewed with Diffusion MR, which is a special MRI technique. Treatment It can be completely cleaned from the inside of the ear with endoscopic methods, but if it has spread to the cells behind the ear, an incision is made behind the ear and it is completely cleaned under microscopic examination.
Early diagnosis and early treatment is very important.
What Happens If Cholesteatoma Is Not Treated?
- Cholesteatoma behaves like a tumor, damages all structures it encounters, dissolves bones that provide hearing such as hammer anvil and stirrup, causing hearing loss,
- Loss of balance by disrupting balance organ structures,
- Facial paralysis by wrapping the facial nerve,
- Reaching the meninges and causing inflammation of the meninges (meningitis)
- Brain vein occlusion, brain abscess,
- It can cause permanent hearing and balance loss.
These risks may arise by damaging whatever tissue is close to where the cholesteatoma grows.
What Should Be Done to Prevent Cholesteatoma?
Assoc. Dr. Yavuz Selim Yıldırım stated what should be considered as follows;
- People with recurrent ear infections should be followed up by a specialist.
- Long-lasting foul-smelling ear discharge should be followed seriously.
- Ear discharges that continue after the pool and sea should not be neglected.
- Those with a perforated eardrum should be under expert control.
- Ear discharge should not be neglected and should be treated.
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