title: A microanalytical study on human auditory ossicles in normal and pathological conditions.
abstract: A microanalytical study of human auditory ossicles was performed in 11 normal adults, 13 infants, 13 foetuses, 7 middle ear cholesteatoma, 7 chronic otitis and 1 facial nerve schwannoma. Malleus and incus ossification is initiated in the foetal period, the Ca/P ratio reaching a value of 1.8-1.9 in the 29-gestation-week foetus and continues in the infant period until adult, except for the marginal area of the malleus head which appears mineralized in the infant. The normal Ca/P ratio for malleus is 2.10, and 2.19 for incus. In the stapes, mature Ca/P ratio values (2.11) appear in the footplate of the 23-gestation-weeks foetus. Stapes ossification continues in its head and crura, but never reaches malleus and incus values. We have confirmed that there is a relationship between Ca/P ratio and sulphur values in the ossification process; so when the first increases the second decreases. Finally, in our pathological material we have not found any significant alteration of Ca/P ratio, sulphur or other elements studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, School of Medicine, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sánchez-Fernández
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Saint-Gerons
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sánchez del Rey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002781:Cholesteatoma / Q000473:pathology; D004429:Ear Ossicles / Q000473:pathology*; D004577:Electron Probe Microanalysis; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010033:Otitis Media / Q000473:pathology; D010040:Otosclerosis / Q000473:pathology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012016:Reference Values; D014131:Trace Elements / Q000032:analysis*
chemical_list: D014131:Trace Elements