Levenson’s Criteria for Congenital Cholesteatoma

Levenson’s criteria is used to identify cases of congenital cholesteatoma (and to differentiate them from acquired cholesteatoma).
Levenson’s Criteria (1986) ¹
1. No prior history of otologic procedures
2. No prior history of perforation or otorrhea
3. Normal pars flaccida and pars tensa
4. White mass behind an intact tympanic membrane
Unlike the prior diagnostic criteria from Derlacki and Clemis (1965), children with a history of otitis media are not excluded.

Levenson, Mark J., et al. “A review of twenty congenital cholesteatomas of the middle ear in children.” Otolaryngology—Head and Neck Surgery 94.5 (1986): 560-567. ↩

Last updated October 11, 2022