Abstract
Temporal bones of 17 aged cadavers were examined. In 12 cases there was a history of “vertigo”. Distension of Reissner's membrane was present in 17 out of 20 cochleae of those with “vertigo” and in 5 out of 9 cochleae of the controls. Pigmentation granules were observed in the stria vascularis and the epithelium of the saccules. Ultrastructurally, these pigmented granules were aggregates of round electron-dense granules located in the cytoplasm, and they were not decolorized by treatment with H2O2, suggesting that they were not melanin.
The medulla oblongata of 6 SHR rats suffering from a kind of “vertigo” was also examined. In one rat, degenerating neurons which stain deeply with Luxol-Fast blue were observed in the reticular formation of medulla oblongata. Further study is needed to evaluate this pathological finding.
