The human vestibular organs observed by scanning electron microscopy.

In many of the reports dealing with disorders of the human inner ear the histology comes from temporal bone dissection. In the past decade the scanning electron microscope has changed, to a degree, the approach to inner ear investigation. However, many problems remain with adequate preservation of specimens from human temporal bones. Ordinarily, human material is obtained from cadavers at autopsy as soon as possible after death, and postmortem changes are evident. At the Otologic Medical Group, Inc., in Los Angeles, many translabyrinthine operations for acoustic neuromas are performed. This report covers findings from vestibular specimens obtained during surgery for removal of acoustic neuromas (four cases) and during eighth nerve surgery (one case).