A comparative study of the effect of age on the human cochlear and vestibular neuroepithelia.

A semi-quantitative and semi-qualitative comparative analysis was performed on the maculae and cochleas of 3 patients. The cochleas were examined by SEM and the maculae by TEM and light microscopy. The surface features of the cochleas were minimally affected by autolysis. Hearing loss and increasing age correlated well with inner and outer hair cell counts. In the labyrinth, the sacculi were more resistant to autolysis than were the utriculi and the type 2 cells better preserved than the type 1 cells. The pattern of cellular degeneration in the utriculus and sacculus varied with both age and functional deficit. Lipofuscin was present in the sensory cell of all 3 patients but was most pronounced in the oldest. Long-spaced collagen, laminated bodies and membrane-bound inclusions were seen in all maculae.