Processing and analyzing the mouse temporal bone to identify gross, cellular and subcellular pathology

A technique has been developed for preparing the mouse temporal bone for histopathological examination: first, as a whole mount to detect any gross malformations of the bony or membranous labyrinths; second, in dissected segments to localize damage in the different sensory organs and to quantify sensory- and supporting-cell losses; and finally, in semi-thick and thin sections to identify and characterize subcellular pathology. Examples are given of the successful application of this technique to mice with very different inner-ear problems, including those with an abnormally short cochlear spiral, a defective lateral semicircular canal, abnormal otoliths over the saccular macula, an increased susceptibility to noise damage and those which lack fibroblast growth factor receptor 3.