[The study of proliferative epithelial activity in cholesteatoma of the middle ear during cytomorphophotometry].

Epithelial proliferation in colesteatoma and its influence on the subepithelial inflammatory reaction was studied using morphometry and nuclear photometry of specimens. Twenty specimens of colesteatoma and 15 specimens of skin from the external auditory canal were examined. Nuclear content was greater in the basal cells of colesteatoma epithelium than in the basal cells of external auditory canal epithelium, suggesting increased proliferative activity. This activity was found to be reted to the inflammatory infiltrate of the conjunctive tissue and varied in different specimens.