Quantitative evaluation of sensorineural structures following stapes surgery.

Sensorineural hearing loss may occur following stapes surgery. The reason for this remains unclear in spite of experimental studies in animals and postmortem temporal bone evaluations in humans. In this study, we quantitatively evaluated the sensorineural elements of six human temporal bones after stapes surgery. Outer hair cell loss in the upper basal turn was present in two cases. This lesion has not previously been described in human temporal bones after stapes surgery. In temporal bones with preoperative sensorineural hearing loss, evidence of presbycusis was also present. The importance of quantification in evaluating these structures must be stressed.