Experimental cholesteatoma: a comparison between spontaneous and induced models

OBJECTIVE: To compare the incidence and the histopathological aspect of spontaneous and two induced Mongolian gerbils’ models of cholesteatoma: External Auditory Canal (EAC) obliteration model and the Auditory Tube (AT) cauterization model. METHODS: Fifty-four ears of 27 animals were divided into EAC obliteration, AT cauterization, and control groups and histologically assessed for cholesteatoma incidence and classification at intervals of 2, 4, 8, and 16 weeks. RESULTS: Cholesteatoma was diagnosed in 30 of the 53 ears evaluated with a significantly higher incidence in groups that received some type of intervention (p < 0.0001). It was not possible to histologically distinguish cholesteatomas of the same stage between the study groups. CONCLUSION: Although we observed a significant increase in cholesteatoma incidence with the two methods used when compared to the control group, all developed cholesteatomas were apparently identical from a histological point of view.