Histopathology of the inner ear in chronic otitis media

Abstract

Serial horizontal sections of 15 temporal bones from 13 patients were examined. Four patients had simple chronic otitis media with central perforation of the tympanic .membrane and 11 had cholesteatoma or adhesive otitis media.
1) The ears with cholesteatoma or adhesive otitis media had greater histological changes than those with simple chronic otitis media.
2) The histological changes in the cochlea were greater than those in the vestibule.
3) In the cochlea, histological changes consisted of collapse or distention of Reissner's membrane, compression of the organ of Corti, fibrous tissue proliferation in the scala tympani near the round window and atrophy of the stria vascularis.
4) In the vestibule, the histological changes consisted of eosinophilic precipitation and distention of the saccular membranous labyrinth.