Experimental lipidosis of the inner ear

Chronic administration of so-called amphiphilic drugs induces an accumulation of lysosomes of different types containing phospholipids in the inner ear. The inclusions are regularly found in the inner hair cells of the organ of Corti, sometimes in supporting cells, whereas the outer hair cells remain almost unchanged. Several nerve fibres in the area of the inner pillar cells and to a lesser degree in the vestibular labyrinth are swollen and filled with osmiphilic material and vacuoles; sometimes they are degenerated. The preference of the inner hair cells is probably the expression of a specially high turnover of lipids in these cells.