Abstract
Effect of round window membrane rupture on cochlear blood flow was investigated using nonradioactive microspheres in guinea pigs. When the round window membrane was ruptured with a fine needle under ordinary inner ear pressures, cochlear blood flow did not change significantly. However, in the case when the inner ear pressures were high enough to interrupt the cochlear blood flow, the rupture of the round window membrane lowered the inner ear pressures and restoration of cochlear blood flow was observed. Thus, the round window membrane was a “safety valve”to restore cochlear blood flow under the condition of extremely high inner ear pressures.
