Abstract
Conclusion: Blockage of the endolymphatic duct is a significant finding in Meniere's disease. The position of the utriculo-endolymphatic valve (UEV) and blockage of the ductus reuniens in the temporal bones were not found to be directly indicative of Meniere's disease. Objective: Comparison of blockage of the longitudinal flow of endolymph between ears affected by Meniere's disease and normal ears. Methods: We examined 21 temporal bones from 13 subjects who had Meniere's disease and 21 normal temporal bones from 12 controls. Results: The endolymphatic duct was blocked in five (23%) ears affected by Meniere's disease (p = 0.016). The utricular duct was blocked in 16 (76%) ears affected by Meniere's disease and 11 (52%) normal ears (p = 0.112). The saccular duct was blocked in 6 (28%) of ears affected by Meniere's disease and 16 (76%) normal ears (p = 0.001). The ductus reuniens was blocked in 10 (47%) ears affected by Meniere's disease and 10 (47%) normal ears (p = 1.000).
Highlights
Meniere’s disease is a complex condition of the inner ear, which is the most common cause of episodic vertigo combined with fluctuating hearing loss
It has been reported that endolymphatic flow may usually be blocked in the endolymphatic duct, ductus reuniens, and utriculo-endolymphatic valve (UEV) [4,5,6,7]
The endolymphatic duct was blocked in 5 (23%) of the 21 temporal bones from patients who had Meniere’s disease but in none of the 21 normal temporal bones (p = 0.016) (Table I)
Summary
Meniere’s disease is a complex condition of the inner ear, which is the most common cause of episodic vertigo combined with fluctuating hearing loss. Endolymphatic hydrops was reported independently in 1938 by Hallpike and Cairns [1] and Yamakawa [2] and has been defined as a pathologic marker in Meniere’s disease. Some studies describing the various congenital or developmental anomalies that involve the longitudinal endolymphatic drainage system, which could lead to Meniere’s disease, exist in the literature [3,4]. Some reports in the literature discuss blockage in Meniere’s disease, to the best of our knowledge, no study yet has compared temporal bones affected by Meniere’s disease and normal temporal bones. We report the histological findings of 42 temporal bones – 21 of those affected with Meniere’s disease and 21 normal ears
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