Cochleo-Vestibular Involvement in Otosclerosis

Abstract

A clinical analysis was carried out upon 202 otosclerotic patients. As the age of patients increased there was a parallel increase of deafness and the latter was accompanied by a greater cochleo-vestibular involvement. Those ears with cochlear involvement showed a greater percentage of caloric abnormalities than the ears with a purely conductive deafness. Fifty-six patients (27.7%) had vestibular symptomatology and in this group there was no correlation between either age, deafness or severity of symptoms. It is concluded that in the course of time the otosclerotic lesions cause a progressive involvement of both cochlear and vestibular capsules thus producing lesions of the sensori-neural elements in the anterior and posterior labyrinths. The vestibular involvement may explain the presence of vertiginous crises in at least some of the patients.