[Comparison between closed and open technique with muscular filling up in surgery of cholesteatoma of the middle ear. Long-term results].

: Advantages and disadvantages of closed versus obliteration technique are studied in a serie of 348 ears all operated on by the senior surgeon, from January 1970 to January 1980. Closed techniques were performed in 67% of cases in children and 50% of cases in adults. A follow-up at one year was achieved in 98% of the cases, at 5 years in 50% and at 10 years in 25% of the cases. This study consists of long term results after all the scheduled surgery has been performed. Residual cholesteatomas occurred in 5% of closed techniques in 1 stage and 1% of closed techniques in 2 stages at one year, in 1.2% of closed techniques in 2 stages and 5% of obliteration techniques in 1 stage at 5 years. No other residual cholesteatomas were observed. Retraction pockets on the contrary were very frequent in closed techniques in 1 stage: 15% at 1 year, 11% at 5 years and 22% at 10 years. They were less frequent for closed techniques in 2 stages: 0.9% at 1 year, 6.3% at 5 years and 2.8% at 10 years. The same figure was observed for obliteration techniques in 1 or 2 stages: 1% at 1 year, 5 and 8.9% at 5 years and 5.8 and 5.2% at 10 years. The air-bone gaps were the same for closed techniques and obliteration techniques.