Chemical Evaluation Of Inner Ear Fluid As A Diagnostic Aid

Abstract

Biochemical analyses have been made of the inner-ear fluids of patients with otosclerosis, Menière's disease, and acoustic neurinoma. Unconta-minated samples of perilymph removed from the vestibule of otosclerotic ears show normal values for K, Na, and protein. For Menière's disease, fluid from the vestibule shows normal values for endolymph and from the scala tympani of the basal turn, normal values for perilymph. For patients with acoustic neurinoma, the fluid removed from the vestibule and from the horizontal canal shows very high protein values even for those patients having normal protein values in the cerebrospinal fluid. Biochemical analysis of inner-ear fluid is a useful aid for difficult diagnostic problems.