title: Fistula of stapes footplate caused by pulsatile cerebrospinal fluid in inner ear malformation.
abstract: Congenital malformations of the inner ear are well described, though the combination with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks remains controversial. In this paper a case of a bilateral Mondini malformation with a CSF otorrhea on one side is reported. The malformed stapes contains a perforation in the middle of the footplate and associated thinning analogous to a pothole in a mountain stream. The histological findings support the hypothesis of pulsatile flow of CSF as origin of the perforation of the footplate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Hoppe
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hofmann
mesh_terms: D002558:Cerebrospinal Fluid Otorrhea / Q000150:complications*; D004426:Ear Deformities, Acquired / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000002:abnormalities*; D005260:Female; D005402:Fistula / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008586:Meningitis, Pneumococcal / Q000209:etiology; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D013199:Stapes; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed