抄録
Eight guinea pigs were given by the pressures from 1 ATA to 2 ATA for 3 seconds and subsequently 2ATA to 1ATA for 2 seconds in the atmospheric chamber. Four animals (A group) were sacrificed immediately after the pressure experiment and the remaining four (B group) were 15 weeks after the experiment.
Varying degrees of hemorrhage and edema were found in the middle and inner ears of the A group animals.
In the cochlea of the A group animals hemorrhage was observed in the perilymphatic spaces and tissues, especially in the scala tympani and its surrounding perilymphatic tissues such as the lower spiral ligament and the osseous spiral lamina. There was a slight edema in the stria vascularis in some animals.
In the B group animals, however, no erythrocytes were detectable in the perilymphatic spaces and tissues of the cochlea. There was a marked atrophy of the organ of Corti and the stria vascularis.
No rupture of Reissner's membrane, cochlear window membrane and basilar membrane was noted either in A or B group of the guinea pigs.
Morphological changes of the organ of Corti may be caused by both direct physical action and indirect influence of the blood circulatory disturbance on the membranous labyrinth.
