Cholesteatoma surgery in children.

We recently reviewed the records of 1024 operations for aural cholesteatoma. One hundred and eighty one of these were on children. Complications of the disease occurred more frequently in those whose disease had existed 20 years or more. As such, complications of the disease were less common in children. Our surgical management of cholesteatoma in children is the same as in adults. We are more likely, however, to perform the operation in two stages in children, and more likely to find residual cholesteatoma at the second-stage operation. There were no differences in the functional results in children and adults.