Prevalence and surgical management of cholesteatoma in Down Syndrome children.

OBJECTIVE

The objective was to report the outcomes of surgical management of cholesteatoma in Down Syndrome (DS) children and to determine the prevalence of cholesteatoma in DS children at three academic tertiary care centers.

METHODS

A retrospective chart review was performed of all DS children diagnosed with cholesteatoma from three tertiary care academic centers. Demographic data, comorbidities, imaging findings, surgical management, and pre- and postoperative pure tone averages were collected.

RESULTS

The prevalence of cholesteatoma in DS patients at these three institutions was calculated to be 8/802 (0.998%), 4/448 (0.893%), and 4/1016 (0.394%), with an average prevalence of 0.762%. Of the 16 patients with cholesteatoma identified, the average age of diagnosis was 10.8 years, and 5/16 (31%) had at least three sets of pressure equalizing tubes (PETs) placed. Of the 13 patients with preoperative CTs, 4/13 (30.8%) had blunting of the scutum, 4/13 (30.8%) had tegmen involvement, 1/13 (7.7%) had erosion of the semicircular canal, 2/13 had facial nerve dehiscence, and 7/13 (53.8%) had ossicular chain erosion. For surgical management, disease control was attained in 4/16 children with tympanoplasty only and canal wall up (CWU) tympanomastoidectomy in 11/16 patients. Available pre- and postoperative audiograms were evaluated; however, there was insufficient audiological data to contribute to outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Cholesteatoma occurs in nearly 1% of DS patients, and the disease tends to be advanced with tegmen involvement in nearly a third of patients, and ossicular erosion seen in more than half the patients. A CWU procedure can be successful in managing DS patients with cholesteatoma when consistent long term follow-up is planned. Close monitoring and a high index of suspicion for cholesteatoma are essential to prevent delays in diagnosis and treatment of DS patients with a history of multiple sets of PET placement.