[Characteristics of the clinical course and treatment of epitympanitis with cholesteatoma in children].

A specific form of chronic epitympanitis has been identified in children. This pathology includes tympanic membrane perforation above he lateral process of the malleus and is termed cholesteatomic epitympanitis . This is because it is accompanied by epidermis growth across the perforation into Prussak's space. This form of epitympanitis occurred in 40 (75%) children out of 53 cases operated during 10 years. It is underlined that this pathology can hardly be diagnosed since it often develops together with sclerosis of mastoid cells. These children had frequent recurrent otitis media. An immediate cause was Eustachian tube closure, often with adenoid vegetations. Adenotomy was performed in 17 (42.5%) children. All patients underwent radical surgery; 16 showed large cholesteatoma, 5 developed intracranial complications, 2 of whom had sinus thrombosis and sepsis. One of operative findings was delineation of the attic from the mesotympanum and the tympanic ostium of the Eustachian tube.