Round window membrane in Ménière's disease: a human temporal bone study.
OBJECTIVE
To disclose the histopathologic findings of the thickness of the round window membrane and the presence of false round window membrane in Ménière's disease.


METHODS
Twelve temporal bones from 6 patients with bilateral Ménière's disease, 44 temporal bones from 23 patients with unilateral Ménière's disease, and 102 age-matched normal temporal bones from 56 individuals were histopathologically examined. The thickness of the round window membrane was calculated from 3 different places. In addition, the presence of false round window membrane was investigated in temporal bones with Ménière's disease and compared to the normal temporal bones.


RESULTS
A significant difference in the mean thickness of the round window membrane was observed in temporal bones with Ménière's disease compared with normal temporal bones. There was no significant difference in the thickness of the round window membrane between the diseased side and contralateral side in patients with unilateral Ménière's disease. A false round membrane was observed in 9 (25.7%) of 35 Ménière's disease cases and in 5 (4.9%) of 102 normal temporal bones.


CONCLUSIONS
The thickened nature of the round window membrane and the frequent presence of false round window membrane in patients with Ménière's disease may impede the intratympanic injection treatments. The thickened middle layer of the round window membrane may be related to perilymphatic pressure changes observed in patients with Ménière's disease.
Department of Otolaryngology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
Shigetoshi
S
Yoda
Sebahattin
S
Cureoglu
Shigetaka
S
Shimizu
Norimasa
N
Morita
Hisaki
H
Fukushima
Teruyuki
T
Sato
Tamotsu
T
Harada
Michael M
MM
Paparella
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008575:Meniere Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012405:Round Window, Ear / Q000473:pathology*; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000473:pathology*