ObjectivesTostudyclinical,imagingfeaturesandtreatmentoutcomesofcongenitalcholesteatomaofmiddleear(CCME).MethodsThisisaretrospectivereviewof10CCMEcasesselectedfrom952cholesteatomacasestreatedbetweenJanuary1995andDecember2005attheDepartmentofOtolaryngology-HeadandNeckSurgery,ChinesePLAGeneralHospital.Themainoutcomemeasureswerethesiteoforigin,clinicalfeatures,surgicalfindings,imagingcharacteristicsandhearingresults.ResultsThemeanageofthe10patientswas16years(rangedfrom10to24years),with6beingolderthan18years.Therewere7malesand3females.Theaveragedelaytodiagnosiswaslongerthan2years.ThemeanpreoperativePTAwas55dBHL,withameanABGof45dB.Typicalcholesteatomaswereseenbehindthetympanicmembraneinthesuperoposteriorquadrantonotoscopyonlyin2patients.HighresolutionCTwascompletedinallpatients.Mostofthepatients(8/10)werediagnosedwithotosclerosisorossicularabnormalitybeforeoperation.Allpatientsunderwentaone-stagetympanoplastyfollowingtransmeatalexplorativetympanotomyandcompletecholesteatomaremoval,exceptone,whounderwentaCWUmastoidectomyduetoextensivecholesteatomainvolvement.Thecholeasteatomalesionwasconfinedtothesuperoposteriormesotympanuminallpatients.ThemeanpostoperativePTAwas20dBHL.Allpatientswerefollowed-upforatleast1.5yearspostoperatively.Revisionprocedureswereperformedin2patientsforhearingdeterioration.Noresidualorrecurrenceofcholesteatomawasfound.ConclusionCCMEisararediseasethatoftengetsdelayeddiagnosis.Residuallesionsandtheprognosismainlydependontheextentofthelesion.
