OBLITERATION of the radical mastoid cavity which has been adopted again extensively was already known to Mosher1 who, in 1911, made successful occlusions of the cavity utilizing a superiorly pedicled musculoperiosteal flap from the posterior wound margin of the postauricular incision. Later, Popper2 used a similar principle but with the flap pedicled anteriorly and attached at the posterior ear canal wall. We have employed the anteriorly pedicled musculoperiosteal flap routinely since 1961 in surgery for chronic ear disease.3 In addition, simultaneous reconstruction of the drum has been made with a fascial free graft which, together with the meatal skin and the muscle flap, has made up the posterior meatal wall. It is the purpose of the present study, besides recording changes in hearing, to obtain information as to the appearance of the ear canal after obliteration of the cavity and to find whether the cholesteatoma has recurred