Histopathologic Changes of Human Vestibular Epithelia in Intralabyrinthine Hemorrhage

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether intralabyrinthine hemorrhage affects vestibular hair cells, dark cells, and transitional cells in human temporal bones. METHODS: We examined 9 temporal bone specimens from 9 deceased donors with unilateral intralabyrinthine hemorrhage (the hemorrhage group) along with their 9 contralateral temporal bone specimens without hemorrhage (the control group). We estimated the density of type I and type II hair cells in all peripheral sensorial organs (including the cristae of the superior, lateral, and posterior semicircular canals, as well as the maculae of the saccule and utricle). We also estimated the density of dark and transitional cells in the lateral and posterior semicircular canals. RESULTS: The loss of type I hair cells in the cristae of the superior, lateral, and posterior semicircular canals and in the maculae of the saccule and utricle was significantly higher in the hemorrhage group, as compared with the control group ( P < .05). The density of type II hair cells in the cristae of the superior and posterior canals and in the macula of the saccule significantly differed between the hemorrhage group and the control group ( P < .05). CONCLUSION: The loss of vestibular hair cells might be the cause of vestibular symptoms in patients with intralabyrinthine hemorrhage.