Expression of EGFR and Microvessel Density in Middle Ear Cholesteatoma

OBJECTIVES: Cholesteatoma destructs bony tissue by the interactions between hyperproliferative epithelial cells and subepithelial inflammatory cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and microvessel density (MVD) in middle ear cholesteatoma tissue in an effort to determine the relationship between expression of EGFR and neovascularization. METHODS: We evaluated the expression of EGFR and MVD by immunohistochemical staining for CD31 and Factor VIII in 32 cholesteatoma tissue samples and 7 normal postauricular skin samples. We also analyzed the correlation between EGFR expression and MVD. RESULTS: The expression of EGFR was higher in cholesteatoma than in postauricular skin, but the difference was not statistically significant. EGFR was more highly expressed in the suprabasal layer than in the basal layer. Using CD31 and Factor VIII, we analyzed the MVD and found that it was significantly higher in cholesteatoma than in postauricular skin, and significantly correlated with the expression of EGFR. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that overexpression of EGFR and neovascularization are correlated with the growth of cholesteatoma.