In 51 patints with cholesteatomatous otitis media who had undergone mastoid surgery, the contrateral ear was assessed by surgical microscope.
Seventy percent of patients were found to have some abnormalities ; tympanosclerosis, ear drum atrophy, ear drum perforation with or without discharge, attic retracttion, atelectasis and cholesteatoma in the contralateral ear, and it was found that 40 percent of patients had a potentially unstable contralateral ear.
With above result, it is thought that middle ear disease might be a bilateral disease and the contralateral ear should be inspected carefully in the diagnosis and surgical management of cholesteatomatous otitis media.
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