Intracranial complications of cholesteatoma.

The incidence of cholesteatoma and its intracranial complications in 1450 patients treated for chronic middle ear disease at the ENT Department of the General Hospital in Osijek over a 15-year period is reported. Nearly 7.5% of patients suffering from chronic middle ear disease with cholesteatoma developed intracranial complications. The most frequent complication was meningitis. The mean age of patients with intracranial complications was 34.6 years. The average duration of the disease was 11.9 years. The surgical technique depends on the type of complication as well as the general condition of the patient. Brain abscess is treated through radical excision of the abscess and in poor risk patients, trepanation with aspiration is preferred.