This Article  • References  • Full text PDF  • Reply to article  • Send to a friend  • Save in My Folder  • Save to citation manager  • Permissions  Citing Articles  • Citation map  • Citing articles on HighWire  • Contact me when this article is cited  Related Content  • Similar articles in this journal  Social Bookmarking   What's this?

Patricia A. Schachern; Michael M. Paparella, MD; Ronald Hybertson, PhD; Shinshi Sano, MD; Arndt J. Duvall, III, MD

Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118(1):53-57.

Abstract
• Pathologic changes (sensorineural hearing loss, labyrinthitis, meningitis) can follow otitis media. Various macromolecular substances demonstrably enter the inner ear via the round window membrane, but its permeability to bacteria is less known. We inoculated Streptococcus pneumoniae type 7F bilaterally into the middle ears of two groups of chinchillas, with and without grafted round window membranes. Inner ears of inoculated animals were observed by light and electron microscopy. None with continuous grafts had labyrinthitis. Bacteria penetrated all three layers of nongrafted round window membranes and into all cochlear turns, entering Schuknecht's channels and following neuronal pathways; nerves were often degenerated, hair cells were damaged or missing, and the stria vascularis was edematous and hemorrhagic. The neural damage suggests a mechanism for the hearing loss that can follow otitis media. Absence of labyrinthitis and meningitis in grafted animals suggests a tympanogenic pathway for the bacteria.

(Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 1992;118:53-57)

Author Affiliations
From the University of Minnesota Otitis Media Research Center, Minneapolis (Ms Schachern and Drs Paparella, Sano, and Duvall); and the Department of Biological Sciences, Mankato (Minn) State University (Dr Hybertson).

Footnotes
Accepted for publication September 13, 1991.

Presented in part at the meeting of the Association for Research in Otolaryngology, St Petersburg Beach, Fla, February 1991.

Reprint requests to 122 Research East, Otohistology, 2630 University Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414 (Ms Schachern).

CiteULike    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    Twitter     What's this?

THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES

Virulence of Pneumococcal Proteins on the Inner Ear
Schachern et al.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2009;135:657-661.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

The Round Window Membrane in Otitis Media: Effect of Pneumococcal Proteins
Schachern et al.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2008;134:658-662.
ABSTRACT | FULL TEXT  

Acute Streptococcus pneumoniae Meningogenic Labyrinthitis: An Experimental Guinea Pig Model and Literature Review
Blank et al.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1994;120:1342-1346.
ABSTRACT  

Otogenic Meningoencephalitis Induced by Streptococcus pneumoniae in Gerbils
Muffat-Joly et al.
Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1994;120:925-930.
ABSTRACT