[Value of high-resolution CT in diagnosing acquired cholesteatoma of the middle ear]

In thirty patients with cholesteatomas of the middle ear, high resolution CT of the petrous bone was performed in conjunction with the clinical examination. The extent of the soft tissue process can be demonstrated by CT, but differentiation of the cholesteatoma from the accompanying inflammatory changes is not possible. Typical complications such as destruction of the auditory ossicles, the bony labyrinth, the facial canal, the lateral wall of the attic and the superior and inferior walls of the tympanic cavity are clearly demonstrated. Changes in the mastoids are better demonstrated than by conventional radiography. Using the high contrast and special resolution of modern high resolution CT, this has become the method of choice in the investigation of cholesteatomas of the middle ear.