The Vestibular Aqueduct in Patients with Meniere's Disease: A Temporal Bone Histopathological Investigation

Abstract

Meniere's disease (idiopathic endolymphatic hydrops) was studied in human temporal bone histology sections. Measurements were made of the area, length, width, angle, position, and external aperture of the vestibular aqueduct in 27 temporal bones of individuals with this disease. These measurements were compared with measurements of the same parameters in 88 normal temporal bones. It was found that small vestibular aqueducts were more often observed in the temporal bones of patients with Meniere's disease than in temporal bones from individuals without this disorder. The difference in size of the vestibular aqueduct in bones with hydrops and normal bones was statistically significant.