Cochlear changes in serous labyrinthitis associated with silent otitis media: A human temporal bone study

Purpose To determine histopathological findings in the cochlea of human temporal bones with serous labyrinthitis. Materials and methods We compared human temporal bones with serous labyrinthitis (20 cases) associated with silent otitis media and without serous labyrinthitis (20 cases) to study location of serous labyrinthitis, the degree of endolymphatic hydrops, number of spiral ganglion cells and hair cells, loss of fibrocytes in the spiral ligament, and areas of the spiral ligament and stria vascularis. Results The serous labyrinthitis caused significant loss of outer hair cells in the lower basal (P = 0.006), upper basal (P = 0.005), and lower middle (P = 0.011) cochlear turns, and significant increase in the degree of endolymphatic hydrops than the control group (P = 0.036). No significant difference was found in the loss of inner hair cells, in the number of spiral ganglion cells and fibrocytes in the spiral ligament, and in areas of the stria vascularis and spiral ligament (P > 0.05). Conclusions Serous labyrinthitis resulted in significant loss of outer hair cells and significant increase in the degree of endolymphatic hydrops.