Abstract

The histopathological changes in nonacoustic labyrinth induced by experimental head injury were studied in 11 guinea pigs. The animals were divided into two groups. The first group were killed after the pain sense recovered and the second group were allowed to survive for 15 days. The temporal bones were serially sectioned and observed under light microscope. The pathological findings of the vestibular organs included arrangement disturbance, lytic, exfoliate and vacuolization of the sensory epithelia, massive spherical bodies in the region of cilium. The otolithic membranes were exfoliated in the utricular and saccular maculae. There was the otolith by the ductus reuniens separated from the saccular maculae in one ear. There were basophilic staining homogenous deposit on the cristae ampullaris. These findings showed that impairments of vestibulae following head injury were obvious. The secondary impairments, cupulolithiasis and obstruction of the ductus reuniens, from the utricular and saccular maculae were one of the pathologic changes in hearing loss and vertigo following head injury.