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Updated: Jun 24, 2026

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Published on: December 15, 2023
Molecular features of external Auditory Canal cholesteatoma by microbial metagenomic sequencing
Guanwen He1, Xiuqin Guo1, Wenxian Lu1
1Ningde Clinical Medical college, Fujian Medical University, Ningde, Fujian, China; Department of Otolaryngology, Ningde Municipal Hospital, Ningde, Fujian, China.
Objective:
External auditory canal cholesteatoma (EACC), a rare destructive benign lesion, causes significant hearing loss, recurrent infections, and impaired quality of life. We characterized its microbial profiles to explore associations with disease progression.
Methods:
Cholesteatoma tissues from surgically treated EACC patients (2021-2022) underwent metagenomic sequencing (Illumina MiSeq). Taxonomic composition, functional genes, and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profiles were systematically analyzed.
Results:
We identified 4377 core genes revealing abundance correlations. Dominant taxa included Firmicutes (42.1%), Proteobacteria (28.6%), and Actinobacteria (19.3%), with enriched Staphylococcus (32.4%) and Corynebacterium (21.7%). Hierarchical clustering and PCA/NMDS confirmed significant taxonomic divergence. AMR profiling detected multidrug-resistant genotypes (e.g., blaTEM, mecA).
Conclusion:
This study defines EACC's microbial complexity and its pathogenic role, advocating microbiome-targeted strategies to mitigate infections.
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