Conserving nephrons in cholesteatoma.

A case of cholesteatoma, clearly delineated by preoperative air contrast retrograde pyelography, was treated like stone disease by removal of the obstructing material from the renal pelvis and pelvic ureter. A 7-year followup suggests that conservative surgical management may be the preferred treatment, since there is no evidence to date that cholesteatoma is a pre-malignant lesion nor necessarily a recurrent condition.