Giant Cholesteatoma: Recommendations for Follow-up

Abstract

This report presents the management of five patients who presented with giant recurrent or residual cholesteatoma after periods of 2 to 50 years. Their case histories are highly diverse, but all provide evidence of the need for long-term follow-up.

Keywords: Cholesteatoma; middle ear; skull base; surgery.

Figure 1

Magnetic resonance axial T2-weighted image of patient 1 with a giant lesion of the left temporal bone, with no obvious invasion of the parenchyma of the brain.

Figure 2

Computed tomography scan of patient 2 showing massive bone destruction of the skull base on the left side.

Figure 3

Magnetic resonance axial T2-weighted image of patient 2 with a hyperintense lesion of the left skull base.

Figure 4

Magnetic resonance axial T1-weighted image of patient 2, showing a mass of the left skull base, isointense to gray matter.

Figure 5

Magnetic resonance axial T2-weighted image of patient 3 showing a large mass in the temporal bone on the right side, hyperintense to gray matter.

Figure 6

Coronal computed tomography scan image of patient 3 showing massive bone destruction on the right side.

Figure 7

Axial computed tomography scan image of patient 4 showing the lesion on the right side, extending onto the sella and the sphenoidal sinus.

Figure 8

Axial computed tomography scan image of patient 5 revealing a giant lesion, covering almost one-third of the skull base on the left side.

Figure 9

Photograph taken of the skull base of patient 5 during autopsy. The extensive destruction of the skull base with the remains of the cholesteatoma is visible (left side).