OSTEOPLASTIC CHANGES IN ATTIC CHOLESTEATOMA

Eighty-nine cases of attic type cholesteatoma were operated on during a three and a half-year period. Of these, eight cases were characteriz ed by bony tissue proliferation at the aditus ad antrum or mastoid ant rum. Sex, age, and hearing levels were not significant in these cases. Bony fixation of the incus and the malleus was seen in six cases. Bon y tissue blocked further expansion of attic cholesteatoma at the aditu s in four cases, narrowed the epithelial tract to the antrum in two ca ses, and completely separated the cholesteatoma into two cholesteatoma s in two cases. Infectious stimuli, at an early stage of the disease, might stimulate such osteoplastic activity at the aditus. Axial CT sca ns give useful information regarding structure before surgery.