Aticotomía con antroexclusión para el manejo del colesteatoma: experiencia de los últimos 10 años en el Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile Attic exposition–antrum exclusion for the treatment of cholesteatoma: experience of the last 10 years at Hospital Clínico Universidad de Chile

Abstract

Introduction: Cholesteatoma is a non-neoplastic lesion that can cause severe complications in the middle ear, with surgical management being the only definitive treatment. Different types of surgery exist as treatment in these cases, mainly categorized by whether or not the posterior wall of the external auditory canal is preserved. This study focuses on attic expo- sition-antrum exclusión (AE-AE) as a technique to address attic cholesteatomas. Objecti- ve: Characterize patients diagnosed with attic cholesteatoma treated with AE-AE between 2014 and 2024 and evaluate outcomes regarding recurrence and audition. Material and Method: A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on 127 patients with attic choles- teatoma who underwent AE-AE, excluding 11 due to missing data. Demographic variables, pre and postoperative audiometric results, complications, and recurrences were recorded after a minimum follow-up of 6 months. Results: 116 patients were included, with an ave- rage age of 45.26 years. The recurrence rate was 5.17%, and a significant improvement was observed in the mean air conduction pure-tone threshold (p = 0.027) and the postoperative air-bone gap (p < 0.001). Patients were able to expose their ears to water without restric- tions after healing. Conclusion: AE-AE appears to be an effective surgical technique with a low recurrence rate and good functional outcomes for managing attic cholesteatomas. This conservative technique should be considered a preferred option for selected patients.