Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Dissection of the Endolymphatic Sac from Mice
04:34

Dissection of the Endolymphatic Sac from Mice

Published on: March 29, 2021

Degeneration rather than hypoplasia may be the pathologic feature of the endolymphatic sac in patients with

Kaijun Xia1, Ping Lei2,3, Qin Liu1

  • 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, ENT Institute, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China.

Frontiers in Neurology
|August 5, 2026
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) may involve degenerative endolymphatic sac (ES) pathology, indicated by a frequent angular trajectory of the vestibular aqueduct (ATVA) ≤ 120°. This differs from Ménière

Area of Science:

  • Otolaryngology
  • Radiology
  • Pathology

Background:

  • Delayed endolymphatic hydrops (DEH) and Ménière's disease (MD) are both hydropic ear conditions.
  • The endolymphatic sac's (ES) pathological types, identified by the angular trajectory of the vestibular aqueduct (ATVA), correlate with clinical characteristics in MD.
  • Understanding ATVA's role in DEH is crucial for differentiating these conditions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the prevalence of ATVA categories in DEH and MD patients.
  • To explore the clinical significance of ATVA in patients with ipsilateral DEH.
  • To determine if ATVA can help classify DEH endotypes.

Main Methods:

  • Temporal bone CT imaging was used to determine ATVA in 27 DEH patients, 114 MD patients, and 45 controls.
  • Clinical data, including gender, age, and caloric test results, were collected.
  • ATVA category prevalence was compared between DEH and MD groups, and associations with clinical features were examined.

Main Results:

  • ATVA ≤ 120° was more frequent in DEH-affected ears compared to MD-affected ears (p=0.002).
  • ATVA ≥ 140° was less frequent in DEH-affected ears compared to MD-affected ears (p=0.009).
  • No significant difference in ATVA category distribution was found between DEH-affected ears and control ears (p=0.510).

Conclusions:

  • The high occurrence of ATVA ≤ 120° in DEH suggests degenerative ES pathology may be dominant.
  • ATVA classification may aid in differentiating DEH from MD endotypes.
  • Further research is warranted to confirm the clinical utility of ATVA in DEH management.
Keywords:
Ménière’s diseaseangular trajectory of the vestibular aqueductdelayed endolymphatic hydropsendolymphatic Hydropsendolymphatic sac

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