Clinical efficacy of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) topical cream for treatment of cholesteatoma

Objective: In order to clarify clinical efficacy of commercially available 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) topical cream, a clinical study was conducted. Methods: Two to three cubic millimetres of 5-FU topical cream (Kyowa, Roche) was applied on 50 cases of various types of cholesteatoma (50 patients) two to five times with the interval of 2 weeks, and its clinical efficacy was evaluated by the criteria we developed. Results: In total, 59% of the cholesteatomas showed good effect, 29% of them showed fair effect, and the effect was poor in the remaining 12%. It was particularly effective in cholesteatomas in the EAC, attic cholesteatomas with an aerated mastoid, and in recurrent-type cholesteatomas. Conclusion: 5-FU topical cream appeared effective for the treatment of cholesteatomas.