M. Balslev Jørgensen

Embryonic Connective Tissue in the Tympanic Cavity of the Foetus and the Newborn

After a summary description of the formation of the middle-ear cavity and a review of previous studies on the regression of connective tissue in this area, the authors report the results of a pathological study comprising 135 temporal bones from 73 newborn infants. The patients represent mainly the developmental stages corresponding to the last 3 foetal months. The majority had lived only for a very few days.The middle ear contents consisted of amorphous, loosely fibrillar connective tissue of a fairly uniform degree of differentiation. This content varied rather in quantity, a little more than one-third of the cavities showing fairly narrow, endosteum-like rims of connective tissue and somewhat less than one-third a thicker padding which increased in thickness, especially posteriorly. The remaining approx. 30 % had middle-ear cavities in which the connective tissue occupied more than two-fifths.

The Ototoxic Effect of Kanamycin: A Clinical and Histological Study

A patient with chronic pyelonephritis and uremia was treated with Kanamycin, 1 g daily for 11 days. This treatment caused grave damage to the internal ear, manifesting itself by complete deafness of both ears, as well as abolished caloric reaction of the right ear and reduced caloric reaction of the left. Subsequent histological examination of the temporal bones revealed degeneration of the neuroepithelial hair-cells everywhere in the internal ear, though chiefly in the basal part of the organ of Corti. The case demonstrates the great risk involved in the Kanamycin treatment of patients with impaired renal function. This risk must be supposed to be increased if the patient has been treated previously with streptomycin or dihydrostreptomycin.

Osteogenesis Imperfecta: Light and electron microscopic studies of the stapes

The light and electron microscopic findings in the stapes from a patient with osteogenesis imperfecta are correlated with the findings in the normal and otosclerotic stapes. In osteogenesis imperfecta there is a quantitative, but not qualitative change of the bony tissue. The histological findings in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta reported in the otosclerotic literature are reviewed. The conductive hearing loss in patients with osteogenesis imperfecta is occasionally due to an otosclerotic focus, in other cases to fibrous degeneration of the stapedial crura.

Sudden Loss of Inner Ear Function in the Course of Long-Standing Diabetes Mellitus

Two patients with long-standing diabetes mellitus accompanied by severe retinopathy suffered sudden loss of inner ear function followed by subsequent partial restoration of hearing. As the most likely explanation it is assumed that the diabetic angiopathy demonstrated in other organs may attack also the vessels of the inner ear. Histological studies are lacking.

Ultrastructure of the Epithelium in Atrophic Rhinitis: Scanning Electron Microscopic Studies

Biopsies taken from various locations in the nasal mucosa of patients with atrophic rhinitis were investigated in the transmission electron microscope. Characteristic is a widespread metaplasia of the pseudostratified cylindrical epithelium to a keratinized squamous epithelium, which corresponds very closely to thin skin. On the basis of the ultrastructural study a hypothesis concerning the pathogenesis of atrophic rhinitis is put forward. According to this theory an important feature in the development of some nasal symptoms is a decreased amount of secretory immunoglobulin A and consequently perhaps a reduced opsonising effect upon the bacteria in the secretion.Verschiedenen Stellen in der Nasenschleimhaut einiger Patienten mit atrophischer Rhinitis wurden Biopsien entnommen und im Transmissionsmikroskop untersucht. Charakteristisch ist eine weit verbreitete Metaplasie des mehrreihigen Zylinderepithels in ein der dunnen Haut sehr ahnliches keratiniziertes Plattenepithel. Aufgrund der ultrastrukturellen ...

Electron Microscopic Studies of the Otosclerotic Focus

From electron microscopic studies of otosclerotic tissue fixed immediately after surgical removal of the stapes, we feel we can deduce the following: First: Apart from the borderline between focus and normal tissue as seen in the light microscope, there are “microfoci” demonstrable only in the electron microscope. The focus appears to enlarge by fusion of these microfoci. Second: Osteoclasts appear to play a subordinate role during the so-called phase of resorption. On the other hand, we demonstrated pronounced osteocytic resorption, pericellular lysis of collagen being an invariable finding. In relation to these findings, lyso-sonies were often observed in the osteocytes. The endothelial cells of the capillary network appeared to be normal.

Drift barriers in the postcartilaginous development of the mammalian otic capsule

SummaryPostcartilaginous development of the otic capsule was studied in undecalcified histological material from rabbits following sequential fluorochromic time labeling of mineralizing tissues, using combined microradiography, fluorescence microscopy and osteoid staining. Early fetal bone formation was monitored by labeling of the experimental animals in utero. In contrast to the normal pattern of drift movements displayed by long bones and extracapsular cranial bone, capsular bone inside a zone immediately surrounding the perilymphatic space developed as a separate functional unit in which growth and modeling was absent. Bone tissue behavior appeared to depend on its spatial relation to the membranous labyrinth rather than histological characteristics. These findings suggest the role of inner ear tissues as a functional matrix in control of capsular bone dynamics beyond fetal life.

Fatigue Microdamage in Perilabyrinthine Bone

Fatigue microdamage may develop in compact bone in response to mechanical loading. The accumulation in vivo of crack lesions is normally balanced by bone remodeling, but osteonal remodeling is inhibited in perilabyrinthine bone. In each of 20 undecalcified adult human temporal bones studied by combined microradiography, UV-microscopy and osteoid staining, abundant intra vital crack lesions containing connective tissue were found in the perilabyrinthine area. This proves that the otic capsule is subjected to bone strains and related fatigue, which would normally trigger a modeling/remodeling response in extracapsu-lar bone; it also suggests that fatigue microdamage may be of significance in otic capsular pathology. Key words: bone remodeling, bone modeling, fatigue microdamage, strain, temporal bone, otic capsule, otosclerosis.

The Growth of the Otic Cavities in the Human Foetus

The cavitation of the early otic capsule was studied in a material of 16 human foetuses ranging from 12-125 mm crown-rump length. It was found that synchronously with the vascularization of the periotic tissue a new type of cell appears. This cell is identified as a histiocyte with the ability to chondrolyse. The present work could not confirm previous studies reporting the formation of precartilage and cartilage in the periotic tissue and subsequent dedifferentiation to connective tissue.

Meniere's Disease: Peripheral or Central Origin: A Neuroanatornical Study

Previous clinical and histological studies have suggested that the aetiology of Menieres disease should be sought nut only in the endolymphatic hydrops, but also in pathological changes of the brain and brain stem. Moreover, neuropsychological studies have indicated some centralization of the disease, whether it be primary or secondary. In order to elucidate this problem further we have examined the temporal bones and brains of 4 patients with Menieres disease, who died of diseases unrelated to the inner ear or the central auditory and vestibular pathways. Endolymphatic hydrops was found in 6 temporal bones to a varying degree, as well as degeneration of the ganglion cells. The brain stem was divided by many horizontal sections from the rostral border of the superior colliculi above, to 15 mrn caudal to the border between pons and medulla below. The principal nuclei and fascicles, the intra- and extraparenchymatous vessels and the leptomeninges were examined. The morphology of ganglion and glial cells w...