Korean J Otolaryngol-Head Neck Surg.  1997 Oct;40(10):1487-1490.

A Case of Tuberculous Otitis Media Combined with Cholesteatoma

• Kim JH
• Hu J
• Kim MY
• Kim HJ

Abstract

As tuberculous otitis media is nowadays not common, young physicians are not good at the disease. Accordingly, the correct diagnosis can be delayed causing complications, for instances, irreversible hearing loss, facial nerve paralysis, and so on. It is, moreover, so hard to make clear diagnosis when aural cholesteatoma is combined with tuberculosis of the middle ear. Recently, we experienced a case of tuberculous otitis media combined with cholesteatoma. The patient had a history of chronic otorrhea and was operated on with a presumptive diagnosis of chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma. Postoperatively the diagnosis of tuberculosis with cholesteatoma was established by histologic examination. We believe that any patient with a long history of discharging ears needs histologic examination, as tuberculosis might be the cause of infection. We report our findings in this patient and discuss the relationship between the tuberculosis and chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma with review of literatures.

Keyword

Tuberculosis; Otitis media; Cholesteatoma

MeSH Terms

Cholesteatoma*
Cholesteatoma, Middle Ear
Diagnosis
Ear
Ear, Middle
Facial Nerve
Hearing Loss
Humans
Otitis Media*
Otitis*
Paralysis
Tuberculosis