Recidivism in congenital cholesteatoma surgery

Forty-four cases of congenital cholesteatoma in the pediatric age group have been treated surgically. There have been three residual cholesteatomas, which were localized to the anterior aspect of the malleus and were easily excised. Two cases of postero-superior retraction pockets developed post-operatively, and these were treated by conventional tympanomastoid surgery with excision of the retraction pocket and grafting. All five of the patients with recidivism have experienced no further difficulty.