Published online by Cambridge University Press: 11 June 2018
To identify epidemiological and pathophysiological factors, and treatment strategies, in external auditory canal cholesteatoma and benign necrotising otitis externa.
A retrospective case study was conducted of patients suffering from external auditory canal cholesteatoma and benign necrotising otitis externa admitted to tertiary hospitals, in the Capital Region of Denmark, over a five-year period.
Eighty-three patients (95 ears) with external auditory canal cholesteatoma or benign necrotising otitis externa were identified. A minimum incidence rate of 0.97 per 100 000 inhabitants per year was demonstrated. Sixty-eight per cent of cases had a history of smoking. Most lesions (74 per cent) were localised in the floor of the ear canal. Treatment time was 3.2 months for patients who had surgery and 6.0 months for those who received conservative treatment.
It is suggested that external auditory canal cholesteatoma and benign necrotising otitis externa are in fact the same disease, and therefore the diagnosis of external auditory canal cholesteatoma should be changed to benign necrotising otitis externa. Microangiopathy has a leading role in the aetiology. Surgery should be conducted in most cases.
Dr J Hertz takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper
Presented at the Danish Otosurgical Company annual meeting, 13 October 2016, Nyborg, and at the Danish Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery Company (‘DSOHH’) annual meeting, 13 April 2018, Nyborg, Denmark.