Quantitative assessment of vestibular otopathology in otosclerosis: A temporal bone study.

OBJECTIVES/HYPOTHESIS: To determine if peripheral vestibular otopathology is present in human temporal bones with otosclerosis.

STUDY DESIGN: Comparative human temporal bone study.

METHODS: Seventy-four human temporal bones from 46 subjects with otosclerosis (mean age of 61 ± 18 years) and 20 within histologically normal limits from 17 subjects (mean age of 59 ± 14 years) were included in this study. Temporal bones with otosclerosis were divided into those with and without endosteal involvement. Using differential interference contrast microscopy at 1008× magnification, type I and type II vestibular hair cell counts were performed on each vestibular sense organ in which the neuroepithelia was oriented perpendicular to the plane of section. The organ-specific cell densities (cells/0.01 mm(2) surface area) were compared between the groups with and without endosteal involvement, and also compared to counts in the nonotosclerosis control group using Student's t-test.

RESULTS: Mean type I and type II hair cell densities of all vestibular structures in the group with endosteal involvement were significantly lower compared to the group without endosteal involvement. Mean type I and type II hair cell densities of all vestibular structures in the group with endosteal involvement were also significantly lower compared to the control group, but they were not in the group without endosteal involvement compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION: Endosteal involvement of otosclerotic foci is associated with vestibular hair cell loss that may contribute to the vestibular symptoms in otosclerosis.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: N/A. Laryngoscope, 126:E118-E122, 2016.