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Cochlear changes in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus
Hisaki Fukushima1, Sebahattin Cureoglu, Patricia A Schachern
1International Hearing Foundation, Minneapolis, USA.
Summary
Type 1 diabetes causes significant changes in the inner ear, including thicker cochlear blood vessels and outer hair cell loss. This can lead to cochlear degeneration and hearing issues.
Area of Science:
- Oto-neurology
- Endocrinology
- Pathology
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus is a systemic disease with known complications affecting various organs.
- The impact of diabetes on cochlear structures, particularly in humans, requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the pathological effects of type 1 diabetes on human cochlear elements.
- To correlate diabetic status with changes in cochlear vasculature, sensory cells, and neural components.
Main Methods:
- Light microscopy examination of 26 human temporal bones from individuals with type 1 diabetes and 30 age-matched controls.
- Comparative analysis of cochlear vessels, outer hair cells (OHCs), spiral ganglion cells, and cochlear lateral walls.
Main Results:
- Significantly thicker vessel walls in the basilar membrane and stria vascularis in diabetic individuals.
- Greater loss of outer hair cells in the basal turn and atrophy of the stria vascularis in all turns among diabetics.
- Increased loss of spiral ligament cells in upper turns, with no significant difference in spiral ganglion cells.
Conclusions:
- Type 1 diabetes is associated with cochlear microangiopathy.
- Diabetic cochlear changes include degeneration of lateral walls and outer hair cells.
- These findings suggest a pathway from diabetes to hearing impairment via cochlear damage.