The topical use of 5-fluorouracil in the ear in the management of cholesteatoma and excessive mucous secretion.

5-Fluorouracil was introduced in the early 1960s as a topical chemotherapeutic agent and has become increasingly accepted because of its efficacy, economy, and relative absence of side effects in treating many pre-cancerous conditions, certain benign and malignant tumors, and dermatoses. This paper addresses the use of topical 5-fluorouracil in the management of cholesteatoma and unwanted mucus-secreting cells. A retrospective study has suggested a very impressive efficacy of topical 5-fluorouracil in the management of cholesteatoma and, to a lesser degree, control of hyper-mucus-secreting cells at locations in the middle ear and mastoid. The use of topical 5-fluorouracil in the management of hyperkeratosis, cholesteatoma in the middle ear and mastoid, and in the external canal has been almost 100% effective with very few side effects. In the management of hyper-mucous-secreting cells, 5-fluorouracil has a success rate of approximately 50%.