Two subgroups of stapes fixation: otosclerosis and pseudo-otosclerosis

Stapes ankylosis is a disease with variable histopathology and can be caused by otosclerosis or pseudo-otosclerosis. Viral pathogenesis of otosclerosis could be established only by correlative analysis: histologic examination of the stapes footplate and reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of the viral RNA.

Presence of the RNA genome of measles virus was demonstrated in the footplates of clinically otosclerotic patients by RT-PCR, and also viral proteins were detected by immunohistochemistry.

Nucleic acids were extracted from ankylotic stapes footplates of clinically stapes fixation patients (n = 104). Measles virus genomic nucleoprotein (NP) RNA was amplified by seminested RT-PCR. Amplification results were correlated to postoperative histologic and audiologic findings.

Measles virus RNA was detectable only in histologically otosclerotic stapes footplates (n = 67). Histology for virus negative footplates (n = 37) excluded otosclerosis. Virus negative stapes footplates showed nonotosclerotic, degenerative disorders.

Stapes ankylosis is a heterogeneous disease causing conductive hearing loss with different etiologies. Nonotosclerotic stapes fixations could be established as pseudo-otosclerosis and may belong to nonspecific, degenerative disorders with variable and noncharacteristic histopathology. Otosclerosis is an inflammatory disease caused by persisting measles virus infection of the otic capsule.