Scanning Electron Microscopy in the Evaluation of Defects to the Ossicular Chain in the Course of Chronic Otitis Media

Abstract

Objective: Chronic otitis media is a heterogeneous disorder. Chronic suppurative otitis media with cholesteatoma and, to a lesser extent, chronic otitis media with granulation lead to the destruction of bone structures within the middle ear. Bone loss may appear in the prominence of the horizontal semicircular canals and the bony canal of the facial nerve. The inflammatory process may spread to the bony labyrinth of the sigmoidal sinuses and the cranial cavities. Materials and Methods: The analysis comprised the examination of fragments of auditory ossicles removed during surgery in 21 patients with various types of chronic inflammation of the middle ear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of scanning electron microscopy in evaluating the erosion of middle ear ossicles in different types of chronic otitis media. Images captured at various magnifications were used for the best possible illustration of the observed lesions in bone tissue. Results: The observed lesions and the degree of bone surface damage were dependent on the type of chronic inflammation of the middle ear. The largest destructive changes in the ossicular chain were observed in chronic otitis media with cholesteatoma; smaller changes were observed in chronic otitis media with granulation. Conclusion: In the case of damage to the ossicles inflicted by inflammation, the use of a modeled bone block made of a temporal bone taken from outside the tympanic cavity or a biomaterial prosthesis is a good choice in ossiculoplasty.