Molecular genetics of cholesteatoma

Cholesteatoma remains an enigma for the otologist. Its clinical course can vary from a benign, static lesion to one of near malignant invasion with intracranial extension. Some cholesteatomas cause little disability and exteriorize themselves, whereas others grow rampantly and cause great hardship to the patient. Over the years, theories of pathogenesis have abounded, but such knowledge has not yet afforded a cure or prevention. The application of molecular genetics to clinical science has now brought us to the threshold of a new understanding of this destructive condition with the implied benefit of new therapies and reconstructive tools.