It is important that the patient attend periodic follow-up checks, because even after careful microscopic surgical removal,<unk> s may recur. Such recurrence may arise many years, or even decades, after treatment. A residual<unk>  may develop if the initial surgery failed to completely remove the original; residual<unk> s typically become evident within the first few years after the initial surgery. A recurrent<unk>  is a new<unk>  that develops when the underlying causes of the initial<unk>  are still present. Such causes can include, for example, poor Eustachian tube function, which results in retraction of the ear drum, and failure of the normal outward migration of skin. In a retrospective study of 345 patients with middle ear<unk>  operated on by the same surgeon, the overall 5-year recurrence rate was 11.8%. In a different study with a mean follow-up period of 7.3 years, the recurrence rate was 12.3%, with the recurrence rate being higher in children than in adults. The use of the endoscope as an ancillary instrument has been shown to reduce the incidence of residual<unk> . Although more studies are needed, so far, new techniques addressing underlying Eustachian tube dysfunction such as transtympanic dilatation of the Eustachian tube has not been shown to change outcomes of chronic ear surgery.
Cholesteatoma
Orbital cellulitis
Orbital lymphoma
Odontogenic keratocyst
Tympanosclerosis
Pseudolymphoma
Periorbital cellulitis
Rectovestibular fistula