A cyst is a tiny sac filled with air, fluid, or anything else that forms when cells clump together. Skin cells in your ear can sometimes do this, resulting in a mass known as a cholesteatoma. Cholesteatomas are caused by a build-up of ear wax and skin on the eardrum, which results in a lump or an eardrum retraction pocket. The skin collects with time, causing infection, drainage, and hearing loss issues. Cholesteatomas are uncommon, affecting approximately 9 out of 100,000 persons in the United States. They can strike at any age, and males are more likely than women to be affected.
