H95.0: Recurrent cholesteatoma of postmastoidectomy cavity

You have a cholesteatoma in your mastoid process again.

A cholesteatoma is also known as a pearly tumor.

The cholesteatoma is a small bony projection behind the ear. It contains small cavities full of air. You can feel this bony projection behind the ear. The ear is a sensory organ that is used to hear and to maintain one's balance. There are 3 different areas in the ear: the outer ear, middle ear and inner ear. The outer ear begins at the auricle and then becomes the external auricular canal. The end of the external auricular canal is sealed by a thin membrane. This membrane is known as the eardrum. The middle ear begins behind the eardrum. It consists of the air-filled tympanic cavity and the 3 ossicles.

You previously had an operation to hollow out the mastoid process and remove the cholesteatoma. A cholesteatoma consists of a growth of skin tissue. When there is inflammation of the middle ear, for example, this skin tissue can get into the bony projection behind the ear. A cholesteatoma can cause inflammatory changes in the surrounding bone. The bone can be destroyed in the process. If the inflammation affects the ossicles, one's hearing can be impaired.