Anatomical study of the temporal bone and vestibular nerve nuclei of cadavers of patients with a history of "vertigo"

Abstract

The temporal bones and/or vestibular nerve nuclei were studied in 7 aged cadavers. In 5 cases there was a history of "vertigo". Distension of Reissner's membrane was present in the 6 out of 8 cochleae of those with "vertigo" and in 2 out of 3 cochleae of the controls. In addition, distension of Reissner's membrane was found in 2 turns of the cochleae in 2 cases with "vertigo". In one of them, remarkable atherosclerosis was present in the labyrinthine artery. Pigmentation granules were found in the stria vascularis of all cases, and they were not decolorized by treatment with H2O2, suggesting that they were not melanin. Many degenerating nerve cells were observed in the vestibular nuclei of 2 of the cases with "vertigo".