Pathological Changes of the Middle Ear After Tubal Radiation

Abstract

The guinea pigs with normal tympanic membrane and preyer reflex were received 40 Gy ⁶⁰Co to the eustachian tube under pentbarbital anesthesia. They were decapitated immediately after irradiation, 3, 6, 12, 24, 72 hours, 7, 14, 28 days, and 2 months. After fixation, drying, and coating, the mucosa of the guinea pig ears was determined by means of scanning electron microscope.
Of 3 hours animals, only a slight activating of mucous secretion was noticed in goblet cells, and it was more remarkably noticed in 3 days animals. A swelling of the mucous membrane of the labyrinthine bulla neighbouring the tympanic orifice was found in 6 hours animals, and it fairly reached the surface of the cochlea and closed the tympanic orifice of the eustachian tube in 3 days animals. There were spherical knobs on the top of a few short-cilia-bearing cell in 3 days animals. In 2 months animals, a few candle flame shaped knobs were found on the non-ciliated cell, and there were waterdrop shaped knobs on the middle to the top of the cilia.