Stapedo-ovalar ankylosis: histomorphologic patterns

This study reports the results of the histo-pathological investigation on the stapes (fragments or complets) of 46 patients (34 females and 12 males) with clinical diagnosis of stapedial otosclerosis and submitted to stapedectomy. Otospongiotic and otosclerotic areas have been found only in some cases; more frequently, erosion cavities filled with fibrous tissue and round-cells infiltration with lymphocytes and/or macrophages have been seen. Osteoclasts were observed only in few cases. Blue mantles have been observed in about half of the cases. Our findings show that non specific chronic inflammation should be more frequent than otospongiosis or otosclerotic foci, and indicate that a phlogosis could be the pathogenetic agent of this disease. This conclusion is in agreement with our previous research, and has been recently confirmed by the observations in stapes of otosclerotic patients of viral antigens and antibodies.