[Clinical analysis of 10 cases of congenital middle ear cholesteatoma with concurrent congenital ossicular malformation].

The data of 10 congenital middle ear cholesteatoma (CMEC) patients with concurrent congenital ossicular anomalies (COAs), who were admitted to the Second Hospital of Jilin University between January 1, 2018, and July 31, 2025 were retrospectively reviewed. The cohort comprised 8 males and 2 females, with ages ranging from 4 to 36 years. The predominant clinical manifestations included aural fullness, tinnitus, and progressive hearing loss. Preoperative evaluations included high-resolution CT (HRCT) of the temporal bone, MRI of the ear (with non-contrast, diffusion-weighted, and contrast-enhanced sequences), and comprehensive audiological assessments. Combined with intraoperative findings, the results demonstrated that in these 10 CMEC patients, the ossicular abnormalities were congenital malformations (e.g., hypoplasia or aplasia) rather than ossicular destruction resulting from direct erosion by the CMEC itself. These findings suggest that CMEC with COAs may be a comorbid condition arising from an independent congenital developmental anomaly, rather than from erosion induced by the CMEC itself.