Mastoid-obliteration surgery with cartilage for suppurative cholesteatomatous ears

Autologous cartilage has been widely used as a material for tympanoplasty and mastoid-obliteration surgery. Since it remains vulnerable to an infectious condition, this study aims to evaluate if it can be used for a chronic suppurative cholesteatomatous ear to achieve single-stage tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy and obliteration of the cavity.

From January 1988 to August 1998, the records of patients with cholesteatoma who received cartilage-obliteration surgery performed by Dr. Lien were examined for any infection-associated problems within three months after the operation. The Fisher's exact test was used to compare the difference in the incidence of post-operative infection-associated problems between suppurative ears and non-suppurative ears.

One hundred and seven surgical procedures performed upon 96 patients were included in this study, with 97 being primary surgical procedures and ten being revision surgery for previous open cavity with cholesteatoma recurrences. The average follow-up was 47.7 months. At time of surgery, there were 59 non-suppurative ears; 48 ears were suppurative and cultured. Granulations were found in the middle ear or mastoid for 42 ears (39.3%). Five ears (4.7%) exhibited infection-associated post-operative problems within three post-operative months. Three cases (5.1%) were non-suppurative ears and two cases (4.2%) were suppurative ears. There was no significant statistical difference when examined with the Fisher's Exact test.

In an immunocompetent patient with a cholesteatomatous chronic suppurative ear, autologous cartilage could potentially tolerate an infection condition to serve as a material for mastoid-obliteration in a single-stage surgical procedure.