Pathology of Ossicles in Chronic Otitis Media

In the course of surgical procedures performed in patients with chronic otitis media, the ossicles of the middle ear, particularly the incus, are found often to be markedly involved in the disease process. An investigation of the pathological changes found in these bones was carried out in the anticipa tion that such a study would aid in the determination of the mechanism of this destructive process and might help in the decision as to the type of surgical procedure most likely to give the best result. Some of the ossicles removed at surgery during the past three years at the University of Illinois, Illinois Eye and Ear Infirmary, were collected and included in this study. These specimens were prepared, after proper decalcification and dehydration, for serial section and embedded in either celloidin or paraffin. Normal Structure of Ossicles Normal specimens of the malleus and incus for comparison were obtained by