THE CO-MORBIDITY OF ALLERGY AND CHOLESTEATOMA IN YOUNG CHILDREN AND TEEN-AGERS
R.A. Tange
Academic Medical Center - University of Amsterdam
The Netherlands
To determine whether allergic sensitization frequently occurs in young children and teen-agers with an acquired cholesteatoma a retrospective study of 96 patients (age 0-20 years) was carried out. All patients were operated for an acquired cholesteatoma before. From all subjects a complete history examination was performed and stored in a microcomputer and analyzed with the MS Excel software program. To assess for the presence of allergic sensitization in patients with an acquired cholesteatoma, a multiantgen radioallergo sorbent test (RAST) was performed. There was a higher incidence of cholesteatoma in boys (59.3%) compared to the girls (40.6%). Forty subjects (41.6 %) demonstrated sensitivity to allergens and this is higher than expected for the general pediatric population. In 77.5 % of all positive RAST cases an allergy for the house dust mite was determined.
In conclusion allergic sensitization is frequently present in young patients with an acquired cholesteatoma. The house dust mite seems to be one of the most important allergens. Cholesteatoma with a positive allergy test occurs much more often in boys than girls. There exists a high boy-dominant tendency in children with the chronic ear disease: acquired cholesteatoma. More research is needed to determine the exact roles in which the immune system and genetics play in the pathogenesis of acquired cholesteatoma in children and teen-agers.