Findings are characteristic of an acquired cholesteatoma.
Attic cholesteatoma ct.
As the cholesteatoma fills the aditus ad antrum the adjacent lateral semicircular canal is at risk.
Ct is the modality of choice for diagnostic assessment of cholesteatomas due to its ability to demonstrate the bony anatomy of the temporal bone in exquisite detail.
The mass extends superiorly into the attic and appears to have eroded through the tegmentum as well as through the fallopian canal of the facial nerve and perhaps the lateral semicircular canal.
Extensive holotympanic acquired cholesteatoma was the most common found in 32 14 of patients followed by attic cholesteatoma found in 28 6 of patients.
It usually begins as a collection of dead skin cells and develops into a cyst like pocket behind the eardrum.
The pars flaccida cholesteatoma originates in prussak space and usually extends posteriorly while the pars tensa cholesteatoma originates in the posterior mesotympanum and tends to extend posteromedially.
Cholesteatomas appear as regions of soft tissue attenuation exerting mass effect and resulting in bony erosion.
Upon reaching the posterolateral wall of the attic further expansion of the cholesteatoma is deflected superiorly toward the aditus ad antrum and mastoid antrum.
Table 2shows the location of cholesteatoma.