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Cholesteatoma



A cholesteatoma is an abnormal, non-cancerous growth that can develop behind the eardrum. It often develops as a cyst that sheds layers of old skin, causing the growth to increase in size and destroy delicate bones of the middle ear. This complication may affect hearing, balance and the function of facial muscles. 




Cholesteatomas may be caused by a poorly functioning eustachian tube, which is a tube that leads from the back of the nose to the middle of the ear. This can result in a partial vacuum occurring in the middle ear, which pulls a section of the eardrum to the middle ear, causing a cyst that can become a cholesteatoma. 


A cholesteatoma has to be removed surgically. Without surgical intervention, the cholesteatoma will continue to grow, resulting in further complications.


Sources:

https://www.healthline.com/health/cholesteatoma#prevention

https://www.bmj.com/content/342/bmj.d1088


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