Electron Microscope Study of Non-decalcifed Ossicles with Chronic Otitis Media

Abstract

To examine the mechanism of bone destructions in the middle ear inflammations, non-decalcified specimens of the ossicles were examined under a light and an lectromicroscope. Twenty three specimens were removed from the patients with chronic otitis media with or without cholesteatoma at the time of middle ear surgery. The specimens were embedded into the epoxy resin after dehydration of graded ethanol. The spcimens were cut by Sorvall MT-5000 ultratome and stained by 1% Toluidinblue solution for light microscopic examination. Five hundred nm thick sections were made for HVEM observation and also 100 nm ultra thin sections were prepared for a conventional EM.
The following results were obtained. 1) Two types of mineral bony surface were observed under an electromicroscope. (A) The bony surface with many precipitations of mineral on the collagen fibers. (B) The bony surface with low density area or irregular edge. 2) These two types of the mineral bony surface were observed at the ossicular lesion with chronic otitis media, with or without cholesteatoma.