Cholesteatoma

A cholesteatoma is a rare ear disorder in children that begins with an abnormal growth of skin into the middle ear. Skin can penetrate the ear drum and form a cholesteatoma after repeated ear infections or a tear in the eardrum. The skin growth can damage delicate bones of the middle ear and lead to hearing loss. Ear discharge is a symptom, but your child may also have ringing in the ear, earaches, headaches or bleeding from the ear.

We specialize in minimally invasive treatments that use 3D brain mapping and GPS-like neuronavigation to pinpoint cholesteatomas with great accuracy. Using an endoscope, our surgeons remove tumors through the natural corridor of the nose without needing incisions. The surgery normally restores hearing loss caused by the cholesteatoma and protects the temporal lobe, where hearing and speech comprehension are located. Children also generally heal more quickly and experience less pain with minimally invasive surgery, allowing them to get back to the carefree childhood they deserve.