Cholesteatoma may occur either in children as in adults; in children, however, they have a more aggressive and extensive growth. OBJECTIVE: To compare the thickness of the perimatrix, in µm, between adults (>18 years old) and children cholesteatomas. STUDY DESIGN: transversal cohort. MATERIAL AND METHOD: 74 cholesteatomas (35 of children) obtained from othologic surgeries were included, fixed in formol 10%. It was made laminas with HE and Picrossisius, with were studied at the optic microscope. We obtained digital images of the laminas at the Image Pro-Plus and we used Spearman's coefficient for data analysis. Differences were considered statistically significant if P.
cholesteatoma; collagen; perimatrix