Acauliflower-like growth with foul-smelling discharges seen during an otoscopic exam of the left ear of an 8-year-old boy with a history of chronic otitis media. the tympanic membrane and ossicles are not visible, and the patient seems to be having difficulty hearing the nurse practitioner's instructions. which with the following conditions is best described?
(a) chronic perforation of the tympanic membrane with secondary bacterial infection.
(b) chronic mastoiditis.
(c) cholesteatoma.
(d) cancer of the middle ear.