Abstract
Labyrinthectomy or vestibular neurectomy is usually selected as a surgical treatment for intractable vertigo symptoms associated with inner ear diseases. However, these procedures are highly invasive, and laser techniques to destroy vestibular end organs have been developed as an alternative. This study was undertaken to determine the feasibility of using an argon laser to abolish saccular function. The temporal bones of 20 human cadavers whose ages ranged from 52 to 91 years at the time of death (average: 82.7), stored in 4% formaldehyde solution for 6 to 12 months, were used as the material. Histopathological examination was first performed to identify pigments in the saccular wall that might influence the absorption of argon laser beams ; the pigment was determined to be lipofuscin. The permeability of the argon laser was then evaluated. After the stapes was removed from the temporal bone, one shot irradiation at 1.5 watts for 0.5 seconds was performed perpendicularly to the saccular wall through the oval window. Histological examination revealed that there were multiple small perforations at the target site. These findings suggest that destruction of the saccular macula with an argon laser adversely affects the cochlea in the aged.
