CHOLESTEATOMA - DIAGNOSIS AND STAGING BY CT SCAN

Chronic otitis media is frequently seen in otolaryngologic practice. C holesteatoma is less common and can present a diagnostic challenge. Te mporal bone imaging studies are often used both to support the clinica l diagnosis of cholesteatoma and to ascertain the extent of the diseas e. The exact role of CT in patients with cholesteatoma is unclear. Thi s retrospective study compares CT with the operative findings in 44 pa tients operated on for cholesteatoma. Results show that while CT can d etect abnormalities in the temporal bone, its ability to diagnose chol esteatoma is poor. We conclude that CT should be used selectively in t hose patients presenting diagnostic dilemmas or when other concomitant pathology (i.e., complications, recurrent disease, etc.) is suspected .