[Concentration of various bioelements in the serum of otosclerosis patients].

Serum biochemistry was monitored in 50 patients with otosclerosis confirmed surgically. Age distribution was 25 to 50 years (mean:30 years), and the group included 8 men. Constants determined were serum sodium, potassium, chlorine, iron, phosphorus, aluminium, magnesium, copper and alkaline phosphatase. All patients were free from systemic or metabolic disease. Results failed to demonstrate variations in sodium, potassium, iron, and chlorine concentrations when compared with controls, with non-significant differences in copper, magnesium, phosphorus, aluminium and alkaline phosphatases. These findings were observed both in young patients in whom the otosclerotic process is in the active phase, and in older patients, this excluding correlations between duration of the disease and variations in concentrations of specific ions. The presence of aluminium in the active otosclerotic process is therefore due to local factors of which the mechanism is unknown at the present time.