Double intratemporal congenital cholesteatomas combined with ossicular anomalies

A 15-year-old patient had unilateral double congenital cholesteatomas, one isolated to the mastoid and the other located in the petrous pyramid. The presenting symptoms were facial palsy and a conductive hearing loss on the affected side. The case is interesting, not only in that there were two isolated cholesteatomas in the same temporal bone, but also because of the combination of ossicular anomalies. The unusually early detection and surgical intervention in this instance suggest that similar cases of multicentric cholesteatomas may have occurred, but may have been concealed because of the later detection and possible linkage of the cholesteatomas. I would therefore emphasize Sheehy's recommendation that temporal bone radiography never be omitted where idiopathic facial nerve palsy exists.