Comparative study of cholesteatoma in paediatric and adult patients

Background The aggressiveness of paediatric cholesteatoma has long been a matter of debate. While much of the evidence is substantiated by data from the Western world, it is further limited by the retrospective nature of most studies. Therefore, this paper presents a comparative analysis of various characteristics of cholesteatoma between paediatric and adult populations seen at our centre. Methods A total of 50 patients (25 adults and 25 paediatric) with clinical diagnosis of chronic suppurative otitis media with cholesteatoma underwent canal wall down mastoidectomy over a period of two years. The intra-operative findings were noted and patients were followed up for six months. Results There was more extensive spread and ossicular erosion in paediatric cases. However, complications such as facial canal dehiscence and lateral semicircular canal dehiscence were more common in adults. Conclusion Paediatric cholesteatoma is more aggressive and invasive than adult cholesteatoma, and the clinical behaviour is consistent with findings from other parts of the world.