[Intact canal wall mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty in treating patients with cholesteatoma of the middle ear and mastoid].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of intact canal wall mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty in treating patients with cholesteatoma of the middle ear and mastoid. METHOD: Fifty-seven patients underwent intact canal wall mastoidectomy and tympanoplasty. RESULT: In all cases who had been followed up for 1-8 years, 5 ears were infected, 2 patients needed second operation, and 3 ears suffered from cholesteatoma recurrence. Tympanic membrane of 29 ears kept integrity although with pocket retraction to some extent. Extrusion of the prosthesis occurred in 2 cases. The postoperative audiometric measurement (the average hearing threshold at 0.5, 1.0, 2.0 kHz HL) was improved by more than 10 dB HL in 39 ears (72.2%), the mean air bone gap (ABG) of 29 ears was reduced to less than 20 dB HL. CONCLUSION: Intact canal wall technique could remain anatomical structure and improve hearing effectually in treating the patients with cholesteatoma in the middle ear and mastoid.