Gerontology & Geriatric Research

Abstract

An Incidental Case of Auto-atticotomy

Mirza M, Asadi H, Brennan P, O’Hare A, Thornton J and Looby S

In this article we present a case of incidental auto-atticotomy in a patient presenting with headache and otorrhea. Auto-atticotomy also known as “Nature’s atticotomy” is a phenomenon that occurs in very few patients who have a cholesteatoma, whereby spontaneous drainage occurs into the external auditory canal, resulting in an air filled cavity, which is in the shape of the original cholesteatoma. Our case study highlights that although rare, auto-atticotomy can be considered as a differential diagnosis in patient’s presenting with headache and spontaneous otorrhea.