Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Cholesteatoma causing ear and jaw issues after ear surgery in two
By Schuenemann, Riccarda Martina & Oechtering, Gerhard·Published in Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association·2012·Clinical Department for Small Animals, Germany·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Cholesteatoma after lateral bulla osteotomy in two brachycephalic dogs.
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A French bulldog and a pug developed ear problems after undergoing surgery to remove their ear canals and part of the middle ear. The bulldog had trouble opening its mouth and showed signs of facial paralysis, while both dogs experienced recurring ear infections. Scans revealed a growth called cholesteatoma in the bulldog, which was confirmed by tissue samples, and the pug showed only slight changes. The vets believe these growths may be more common in brachycephalic breeds (like bulldogs and pugs) after such surgeries, as it can be harder to remove all affected tissue. Both dogs will need careful monitoring and possibly further treatment to manage their conditions.
People also search for: bulldog ear problems after surgery · pug ear infection treatment · cholesteatoma in dogs · facial paralysis in dogs · brachycephalic dog ear surgery risks
Abstract
This report describes a French bulldog and a pug that presented to the authors' hospital following total ear canal ablation (TECA) and lateral bulla osteotomy (LBO), with signs of recurring otitis media and difficulty opening their mouths. The bulldog also had unilateral facial paralysis and sensory deficits of the trigeminal nerve on the ipsilateral side. Computed tomography and MRI scans suggested cholesteatoma in the bulldog, but showed only slight enlargement of the bulla in the pug. Histopathologic examination of samples yielded cholesteatoma in both cases. The authors suspect that development of the cholesteatomas was linked to the TECA/LBO surgery in both cases. Cholesteatomas may occur more frequently than currently thought. Even if only slight changes of the bulla wall are detected on CT, early-stage cholesteatoma should be considered. The narrow anatomic conditions in brachycephalic dogs possibly predispose such breeds to develop cholesteatoma after middle ear surgery because complete removal of all inflammatory and epithelial tissue can be more difficult than in other breeds. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of an aural cholesteatoma causing sensory deficits of the trigeminal nerve.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22611216/