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Distribution of low-frequency nerve fibers in the auditory nerve: Temporal bone findings and clinical implications
Jose N Fayad1, Manny Don, Fred H Linthicum
1Department of Histopathology, Temporal Bone Laboratory, House Ear Institute, Los Angeles, California 90057, USA. jfayad@hei.org
Hypothesis:
Low-frequency cochlear fibers are on the outer surface of the auditory nerve adjacent to the vestibular nerve in the distal part of the internal auditory canal.
Background:
There is a misconception that low-frequency cochlear fibers are in the core of the cochlear nerve and are surrounded by high-frequency fibers.
Methods:
We analyzed temporal bones with a loss of upper spiral ganglion cells caused by different etiologies (n = 6) and traced the corresponding fibers into the distal internal auditory canal. Spiral ganglion cells for each segment (I-IV) of the cochlea were counted, and we defined the location of nerve fibers from the various segments.
Results:
There was total or near-total degeneration of the upper spiral ganglion cells in these bones. Corresponding low-frequency fibers were on the outer surface of the cochlear nerve adjacent to the vestibular nerve in the distal segment of the internal auditory canal.
Conclusion:
Low-frequency fibers seem to be located at the periphery of the cochlear nerve. These findings provide one possible explanation for the low-frequency sensorineural hearing loss found in 10% of patients with vestibular nerve schwannomas and may have clinical relevance in the diagnosis of these lesions.
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