Analysis of histopathological aspects and bone destruction characteristics in acquired middle ear cholesteatoma of pediatric and adult patients

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to investigate the proliferative and apoptotic activity of middle ear cholesteatoma in pediatric and adult patients, in addition to comparing its histopathological aspects and the severity of advanced bone destruction.Materials and methodsMedical records of 223 patients treated for chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma at the Otolaryngology Department of Dokuz Eylul University between January 1992 and December 2013 were retrospectively evaluated. Sixty-one patients subjected to tympanomastoidectomy due to middle ear cholesteatoma, with sufficient specimens for histopathological examination, were included in the study. Sections of archived tissues in paraffin blocks were subjected to new histopathological examinations. The proliferative and apoptotic activities of cholesteatoma were determined by immunohistochemical staining for epithelial thickness (ET), and Ki-67 and caspase-3 expression. A novel scoring system, the Bone Erosion Score (BES), was developed to estimate the severity of bone destruction. The Austin–Kartush classification score (AKCS) was also calculated.ResultsET and Ki-67 expression was higher in adult patients than in the pediatric patients (p = 0.009 and 0.01, respectively); however, caspase-3 immunopositivity did not show any significant intergroup differences (p = 0.106). The differences in AKCS and BES between pediatric and adult patients were not statistically significant. According to the correlation analysis, a significant positive correlation was observed between AKCS and BES (p = 0.001), and between ET and Ki-67 expression (when histopathological data were compared) (p = 0.001).ConclusionThe proliferative activity of cholesteatoma was higher in adult patients. Therefore, these findings do not support the theory that the aggressive clinical course of cholesteatoma in pediatric patients is correlated with its histopathological characteristics.