A cholesteatoma is a tumor that can grow in your middle ear and can be congenital (grown during development) or acquired (caused by pathologic changes within the ear after development). Acquired cholesteatomas are more common, while not fully understood medically yet. 

If you’re reading this, chances are you suspect you have a cholesteatoma, or you think a loved one may be suffering with one. You’re in the right place: here, we’ll discuss the causes and symptoms of them, as well as the best ways to treat them.

What Causes a Cholesteatoma? 

Cholesteatomas are epithelial tumors—meaning skin cells start to grow uncontrollably and create a mass that sits inside the middle ear. Typically, they’re benign tumors, harmless until they get infected and become much harder to cure, as antibiotics cannot affect them. 

Causes of cholesteatomas include chronic ear or sinus infections, colds, and allergies, as all of these affect the function of your Eustachian tube, which leads from the back of the nose to the middle of your ear.  

A malfunctioning Eustachian tube blocks air from flowing to the ear, which normalizes ear pressure; a partial vacuum within the tube can cause part of your eardrum to be pulled into your middle ear, which creates a cyst that can turn into a cholesteatoma. 

What Are Symptoms of a Cholesteatoma? 

With the correct tools, a hearing care professional can see if you have a cholesteatoma by looking into your ear; quite often, a small, white bulge behind the eardrum will be visible—and smellable, as the drainage caused from the tumor smells pretty foul. 

The corrosive nature of a cholesteatoma will also cause erosion to your middle ear ossicles, or the bones in your ear that help you hear. Experiencing sudden hearing loss in one ear could be a symptom of a cholesteatoma, but make sure to check for other symptoms before calling your hearing care doctor.