Objectives: 1. MR imaging features of middler ear cholesteatoma
2. Value of MR imaging in detection of residual/recurrent cholesteatoma. Materials and methods: 31 cases include second-look surgery and first surgery of cholesteatoma. All cases underwent MR imaging. The results of MR imaging were compared with the results of operation and histopathology. Results: Cholesteatoma found in 25/31 (80.6 percent). Normally, cholesteatoma is iso and hyposignal on T1W (100 percent), without enhancement (92 percent), iso andhyposignal on T2W (88 percent), hypersignal on Diffusion HASTE (96 percent) and on Diffusion EPI (80 percent). Diffusion HASTE and T1 sequences have higher value in detection of cholesteatoma than Diffusion EPI. Conclusions: MRI has good value in detection of suspicious cholesteatoma of the middle ear.