Understanding Cholesteatoma: Causes, Symptoms, and Management

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Cholesteatoma

by Alike Medical Team ∙ Updated on June 13, 2023

General

Cholesteatoma is an abnormal growth of skin in the middle ear behind the eardrum. It can be present from birth, but it more commonly occurs as a complication of chronic, meaning long standing, ear infections. A cholesteatoma can grow over time and cause a damage to the structure of your middle ear leading to pain and hearing loss. Cholesteatoma is usually formed in people with recurrent ear infections and poor function of the eustachian tube, which is the tube that drains the secretions of the ears into your nose.

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Learn from others who are experiencing Cholesteatoma.

Signs & symptoms

At start, the symptoms of cholesteatoma are quite mild, including recurrent discharge of fluid from your ear, sometimes with a foul odor. As it progresses, cholesteatoma may cause pain and pressure in your ear, dizziness and hearing loss.

Diagnosis

Your doctor will ask about your symptoms and look inside your ear with an otoscope. A *CT scan* may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis, and to check for possible damage to your inner ear.

Treatment

Initial treatment may involve careful cleaning of the ear, *antibiotics*, and *eardrops*. Therapy aims to stop the drainage in your ear by controlling the infection. Large or more complicated cholesteatomas may require *surgery*.

Note

☝ We provide information on prescription and over-the-counter medicines, diagnosis, procedures and lab tests. This material is provided for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

National Institutes of Health ∙ World Health Organization ∙ MedlinePluse ∙ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

☝ All information has been reviewed by certified physicians from Alike

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