title: The status of the contralateral ear in children with acquired cholesteatoma.
abstract: CONCLUSIONS
  The high prevalence of pathological changes in the contralateral ear (CLE) among children treated because of middle ear cholesteatoma (MEC) was observed. Evolution of many retraction pockets into cholesteatoma points to the need for early intervention in those patients, especially those with concomitant attic retraction pockets and secretory otitis media (SOM).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the study was to assess the frequency of pathological changes in the CLE of children operated because of MEC, and to determine their clinical evolution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective analysis was performed on the basis of medical records of 202 patients treated surgically for MEC in the years 1998-2011. The mean age of included patients was 11 years and the mean observation period was 54 months. Otoscopic findings before surgery were compared with the latest examination.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the time of surgery for MEC, 54.5% of CLEs presented with abnormalities. The most frequent findings were retraction of the tympanic membrane (30%) and SOM, 22.4%. Also, 7% of patients presented with bilateral MEC. Thirty-four percent (20 cases) of retraction pockets diagnosed at the beginning of the observation period required surgical intervention. During the intervention in 20% of cases (12/59 cases) diagnosis of cholesteatoma was confirmed. At the end of the observation period bilateral cholesteatoma was diagnosed in 12.9% of children.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Medical University, Białystok, Poland. hassmann@umwb.edu.pl
authors.forename: Elżbieta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hassman-Poznańska
authors.forename: Agnieszka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kurzyna
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Trzpis
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Poznańska
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D018424:Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D010034:Otitis Media with Effusion / Q000150:complications*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D014432:Tympanic Membrane / Q000473:pathology*