ABSTRACT

Tympanosclerosis is a disease characterized by calcification of tympanic membrane and the ossicles of middle ear. Cholesteatoma, a cyst of tympanic membrane due to epidermal debris, can be alone or associated with chronic inflamation. The association of tympanosclerosis with cholesteatoma is still a matter of debate in medical literature. Studies reported negative and rare associations and some incidental cases. Therefore we planned to follow up patients with tympanosclerosis prospectively in order to evaluate if a cholesteatoma would develop. Our study continues and this presentation has preliminary data of our study.

Twenty-three patients (14 male, 9 female) with tympanosclerosis betwe-en the ages 16 and 68 participated in our study. Patients were evaluated with temporal compu-terized tomography, symptoms, signs and the images were recorded. After the operation, cho-lesteatoma and chronic otitis status of the patients were classified according to operation and/or pathology reports.

Six of 23 (35%) cases had cholestatoma in association with tympanosclerosis. Five of the 6 cholesteatoma cases (83%) were associated with chronic otitis media and in only one patient cholesteatoma was isolated. The remaining 17 had only chronic otitis media.

Cholesteatoma frequently accompanied chronic otitis media in patients with tym-panosclerosis. Rarely isolated cholesteatoma was also diagnosed with tympanosclerosis. The-refore we conclude that tympanosclerosis and cholesteatoma have an association “more than rare”.

Keywords: cholesteatoma, tympanosclerosis, computed tomography, otitis media, hearing loss