Toxic labyrinthine reaction: a human temporal bone study

ABSTRACT

The study material included 240 temporal bones with various pathological conditions involving the middle ear, internal auditory meatus and otic capsule in addition to 40 normal temporal bones to serve as controls. The bones were examined for histomorphologic changes in the inner ear and its fluid content. A significant correlation has been shown between the intralabyrinthine eosinophillic reaction and many of the pathological categories included in the study. It was concluded that speculation were inferred relating the toxic labyrinthine reaction to the immune mechanisms of the inner ear, to the development of secondary endolymphatic hydrops and to the modalities of hearing loss in otitic and meningitic conditions. The pathogenesis of intralabyrinthine eosinophilic exudate was hypothesized and pathophysiology of the consequent hearing loss was discussed