RE: Sizes of Cholesteatomas

[Guest guest]

My daughter's was classified by our surgeon as " massive " and measured

about 9-10 mm (showed on the CT scan as 5-7 mm, but was found to be much

larger than that). Our surgeon does not use words like " massive "

lightly, so I'm guessing that 10 mm would be on the big end.

-Jeff.

Sizes of Cholesteatomas

My doctor told me I have a " minimal " cholesteatoma. Has anyone heard

of a scale for this disease? Is minimal the smallest form of growth?

Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

Steve

[Guest guest]

Hi Steve

From what I've read it can be anything from a tiny "pearl" nestled up against the eardrum to something that fills up the middle ear (I believe that's about the size of the top of an average thumb). After that it will generally find it's way into the mastoid, and left indefinitely, anywhere else it can get to. You've probably been lucky to have the ctoma discovered so early. The bigger it gets the more damage it does and many cases go undiagnosed until symtoms show up. I've also had an uncommon kind of ctoma that filled up the ear canal and was mistaken for fungus by an ordinary doctor.

Phil

Sizes of Cholesteatomas

My doctor told me I have a "minimal" cholesteatoma. Has anyone heard of a scale for this disease? Is minimal the smallest form of growth? Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.Steve

[Guest guest]

Phil, thanks. THis is helpful. When they diagnosed me they also said

that my mastoid was probably filled with fluid. It looked " filled

in " on the CT scan instead of open and airy like a bone should look.

Is this common?

Steve

> Hi Steve

>

> From what I've read it can be anything from a tiny " pearl " nestled

up against the eardrum to something that fills up the middle ear (I

believe that's about the size of the top of an average thumb). After

that it will generally find it's way into the mastoid, and left

indefinitely, anywhere else it can get to. You've probably been

lucky to have the ctoma discovered so early. The bigger it gets the

more damage it does and many cases go undiagnosed until symtoms show

up. I've also had an uncommon kind of ctoma that filled up the ear

canal and was mistaken for fungus by an ordinary doctor.

>

> Phil

> Sizes of Cholesteatomas

>

>

> My doctor told me I have a " minimal " cholesteatoma. Has anyone

heard

> of a scale for this disease? Is minimal the smallest form of

growth?

> Any insight would be appreciated. Thanks.

>

> Steve

>

>

>