| Labyrinthitis
is an
inflammation
of a structure in your inner ear called the labyrinth.
Labyrinth is
located inside the inner ear, deep in the bone at the base of the
skull. It is made up of 3 semicircular canals that help in control
of hearing and balance.
The
labyrinth consists of inter-connected channels filled with fluid and
these channels are at different angles. When the head moves, the
rolling of the fluid tells the
brain
how far, how fast and in what direction the head is moving. This
information allows the body to balance properly. Part of the
labyrinth, called the cochlea, also sends information about sounds
to your
brain
.
If the
organs that control balance of a person's infected ear are inflamed,
then the information they send to the
brain
will be different from the information sent from the unaffected
ear.
Serous
Labyrinthitis is the mildest form due to local irritant, such as
acute or chronic otitis media without bacterial invasion of inner
ear, temporal bone or meningitis. Histological feature: Eosinophilic
staining of the inner ear fluids with or without serofibrinous
strands. Image
Link
Suppurative
labyrinthitis is characterized by the presence of large numbers of
inflammatory cells.
Labyrinthitis
Ossificans
is end stage of labyrinthitis, with ossification of
labyrinthian structures but no inflammatory infiltrate. The
perilymphatic spaces are usually involved and the endolymphatic
spaces are often spared. The region of the scala tympani, near the
round window membrane, is the area most commonly affected.
Image
Link: Purulent labyrinthitis
Labyrinthitis
is usually caused by a viral infection. There is a wide range of
viruses that can cause an infection, but the condition often follows
a common viral illness such as a cold, the flu, or mumps.
Viral labyrinthitis may also be due to measles and cytomegalovirus
infection. Viral cytopathic changes are present in scala media.
Viral
labyrinthitis: early pathology in the human. Laryngoscope.1983
Dec;93(12):1527-33.
Labyrinthitis
can also be caused by a bacterial infection. Such cases are rare,
but likely to be more serious.
Bacteria
can enter the labyrinth if the membranes (thin layers of
tissue
) that separate the middle ear from the inner ear are broken. This
can happen if the patients has middle ear infection (otitis media)
or an infection of the
brain
lining (meningitis).
Bacteria
can also gain access to the inner ear as a result of an injury to
your ear or head.
It is
usually a mild condition that passes within a few weeks, although
some cases are more serious and can do permanent damage to your
hearing and balance.
Labyrinthitis
can affect people of any age, but it is rare in children.
The main
symptom of labyrinthitis is vertigo, a spinning or whirling
sensation which a person can feel although neither the person nor
his surroundings are moving.
With
labyrinthitis, the vertigo begins suddenly, without warning, and
often occurs 1 to 2 weeks after the person recovers from flu or a
cold or other viral or bacterial infection. The sudden onset of
vertigo may be severe enough to cause vomiting and nausea. The patient
may also complain of tinnitus. Rarely only
if the labyrinthitis is caused by a bacterial infection the hearing
loss may be permanent.
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