Cholesteatoma in children.

The surgical management of cholesteatoma in children remains a controversial subject. Many authors hold that the disease itself is more aggressive than that seen in adults. Furthermore, there appears to be a consensus that intact canal wall procedures, if used at all, should be reserved for adults only. The purpose of this paper is to study a group of children and adults who underwent the surgical removal of their cholesteatoma by intact canal wall tympanoplasty at the Otology Group between March 1, 1971 and March 1, 1977. A comparison of the results and complications in the two groups is presented in detail.