[Cholesteatoma of the paranasal sinuses. Apropos of 2 cases]

Two cases of cholesteatoma of the facial sinuses are presented. One of them was located in the maxillary sinus and the other was originally located in the ethmoid cells and extended into the maxillary sinus. After reviewing the literature on this subject, the authors analyze the pathogenetic theories and the clinicoradiological expressions. These raise an obvious diagnostic difficulty: the diagnosis is virtually impossible to establish before surgery and a clinicopathological study are performed.