Ante mortem Ruptures of the Endolymphatic Membranes in Children: Real Finding or Artifact?

Abstract

We undertook this study to determine whether or not ante mortem ruptures of the endolymphatic membranes occurred naturally in the infantile labyrinth, what were the most frequent locations and to assess the statistical correlation of an earlier finding of bulging of Reissner’s membrane in pediatric temporal bones. We examined 128 temporal bones from 80 children between the ages of newborn to 12 years with an average age of 15.4 months. All temporal bones were prepared by the celloidin technique and studied by light microscopy. The endolymphatic membranes of the cochlear duct, saccule, utricle and semicircular ducts were examined for ruptures. A rupture of the saccule and utricle was considered to be an ante mortem event if its edges were rolled and bound with fine adhesions and could be identified in adjacent sections. Ante mortem ruptures were seen in 11.1% of the specimens and occurred in 2.4% in Reissner’s membrane, in 6.3% in the saccular membrane and in 2.4% in the utricular membrane. In these specimens, the histopathological changes included atrophy of the stria vascularis and collapse of the organ of Corti, which provided further evidence of an ante mortem event. Infants with extralabyrinthine congenital anomalies or children who were treated with chemotherapy were more likely to develop ruptures of the endolymphatic membranes if they also received aminoglycosides.

Differential Volume Increase of Endolymphatic Compartments in Ménière's Disease Is Inversely Associated With Membrane Thickness

“…Discontinuities in the membranous labyrinth were considered to be breaks or preparation artifacts if there were also breaks in the surrounding bone or vessels or if the abnormality could not be traced to the next consecutive section (6). Ruptures, on the other hand, also showed regenerative features, rolled edges, and fine adhesions and could be identified in adjacent sections (7).…”