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OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the effect of mastoid cavity aeration on recurrent cholesteatoma after canal wall up tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy in patients with cholesteatoma. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: University hospital. METHODS: We analyzed 62 patients who met specific criteria and underwent initial canal wall up tympanoplasty with mastoidectomy for cholesteatoma. Postoperative mastoid cavity aeration was assessed ~1 year after surgery using computed tomography. The relationship between mastoid cavity aeration 1 year after surgery and recurrent cholesteatoma within 3 years post-surgery was explored. RESULTS: Approximately 1 year post-surgery, 38.7% of the patients showed improved mastoid cavity aeration. The incidence of recurrent cholesteatoma after >3 years was 34.5% in cases without mastoid cavity aeration and 11.1% in cases with aeration. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the absence of postoperative mastoid cavity aeration is associated with a higher risk of recurrent cholesteatoma. Therefore, the aeration status of the mastoid cavity at 1 year postoperatively seems to be a useful marker for determining surveillance schedule.
Yamamoto et al. (Mon,) studied this question.