Research in Vestibular Science

Review

Vestibular Histopathology in Temporal Bone: Sung Il Nam; Res Vestib Sci. 2018;17(4):130-133. Published online December 21, 2018; DOI: https://doi.org/10.21790/rvs.2018.17.4.130

Abstract PDF: There are a number of reports on the pathologies of vestibular disorders. However, these studies included only a few examples, which were not quantitative but merely anecdotal or descriptive. However, a single tissue section may be relevant to a specific disease in multiple ways. The histopathological characteristics of common peripheral vestibulopathies, including benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, Ménière’s syndrome, labyrinthitis, vestibular neuritis, and ototoxicity, have been described. A recent study validated a new quantitative method for determining vestibular otopathology. Detailed quantitative analyses of vestibular pathology are required to obtain a deeper understanding of the vestibular system. Such studies will likely reveal the pathophysiological causes of specific diseases by elucidating the correlations between structural and functional features. Therefore, histopathological studies of vestibular disorders should be performed.

Case Reports

A Case of a Meningeal Carcinomatosis of the Internal Auditory Meatus Treated as Sudden Deafness: Fumiyuki Goto, Miki Arai, Takeshi Wakabayashi, Tomoko Otomo, Ryoto Nagai, Shuujiro Minami, Takanobu Shimada, Masato Fujii; Res Vestib Sci. 2015;14(4):139-142.

Abstract PDF: We describe a case of meningeal carcinomatosis of the internal auditory meatus presenting as sudden deafness accompanied by dizziness. A 54-year-old woman complained of acute right-side hearing loss in October 2014. The pure tone audiometry test revealed right-side hearing loss of 47.5 dB. She was treated with oral steroids. Her hearing as well as her symptoms of dizziness worsened and she was admitted for further examination. Her right and left-side hearing had worsened to 105.0 dB and 47.5 dB, respectively. A magnetic resonance imaging scan of the head revealed bilateral enhancement of the internal auditory canal and multiple brain metastases. The chest radiograph revealed a mass in the left lung. Adenocarcinoma of the lung was diagnosed. Lumbar puncture yielded no evidence of carcinoma cells in the cerebrospinal fluid, but an increased number of lymphocytes was confirmed. A diagnosis of multiple brain metastases and leptomeningeal metastasis from the adenocarcinoma of the lung was considered. Whole-brain radiation therapy (30 Gr/10 fractions) was administered. Progressive bilateral hearing loss is a rare first manifestation of meningeal carcinomatosis. It is quite important to consider the possibility of this condition when patients present with sudden deafness.

Monostotic Fibrous Dysplasia of the Temporal Bone with Unilateral Vestibular Weakness and Sensorineuronal Hearing Loss: Jae Ho Ban, Chi Yeul Park, Jong Kyu Lee, No Hee Lee; J Korean Bal Soc. 2005;4(1):58-62.

Abstract PDF: Fibrous dysplasia is an uncommon benign disorder of unknown etiology. The disease was first described by McCune and Albright in separate publications in 1937. The term, fibrous dysplasia was suggested by Lichtenstein in 1938. The disease has since been found to have 3 different variants: monostotic, polyostotic, and McCune-Albright syndrome. It is a slowly progressive bony disorder where normal bone is replaced by abnormal fibrosseous tissue. Involvement of fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone is usually unilateral. The squama becomes thickened and the pneumatic system is obliterated. Because fibrous dysplasia shows a predilection for the facial and cranial bone, where it causes deformity and dysfunction. In this paper, we report a case of fibrous dysplasia of the temporal bone. We discuss the characterisitic features of this specific location of the disease, the differential diagnosis, and the treatment policy. We also address the issue of vertigo.

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