[Temporal bone histopathology exhibiting cochleosaccular degeneration in a patient with profound deafness].
We herein report the histopathological findings of the temporal bone taken from a patient with unilateral profound deafness since early childhood. The patient was a 72-year-old male who died of lung cancer and extensive metastases including the tongue. The patient had a history of profound hearing loss in his left ear since childhood. The histopathological finding of the left temporal bone revealed a severe atrophy of the organ of Corti, a detached and rolled-up tectorial membrane, a moderate loss of the stria vascularis, and a severe loss of spiral ganglion cells. In addition, the macula of the saccule was severely degenerated. The marked degeneration in the inner ear indicated a cochleosaccular disorder, which is a typical temporal bone finding in cases of viral labyrinthitis and hereditary hearing impairment. The present patient was suspected to have suffered cochleosaccular degeneration as a result of an inner ear viral infection during childhood because the number of spiral ganglion cells was significantly reduced because of secondary neural degeneration.
Saigusa
Hanako
H
Department of Otolaryngology, Teikyo University School of Medicine, Tokyo.
Iino
Yukiko
Y
Nakamoto
Yoshinori
Y
Miyazawa
Tetsuo
T
Murakami
Yoshihiko
Y
Kodera
Kazuoki
K
D000368:Aged; D001284:Atrophy; D003051:Cochlea / Q000473:pathology*; D003638:Deafness / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007762:Labyrinthitis / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration; D012444:Saccule and Utricle / Q000473:pathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013136:Spiral Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000473:pathology*; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000473:pathology*; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000150:complications