Background and Objectives: Although post surgical cholesteatomas can be treated surgically, reoperation is associated with a relatively high risk of complications, including facial nerve injury and endolymphatic fistula. Alternatively, localized post surgical cholesteatomas can be extracted, using suction followed by irrigation with antibiotic otic solution, on an outpatient basis. We determined whether this approach was effective for the treatment of localized cholesteatomas in the attic area.
Materials and Methods: We retrospectively evaluated outcomes in 19 patients who underwent ambulatory local care of post surgical cholesteatoma at our ENT clinic from January 1994 to February 2007.
Results: All 19 patients were effectively treated with local care and long-term follow-up.
Conclusion: The post surgical development of some cholesteatomas can be effectively treated on an outpatient basis, avoiding the additional risks associated with repeat surgery. Local treatment and continuous observation may be effective for selected patients with post surgical cholesteatoma.