LATE SEQUELAE OF COCHLEAR INFECTION

Inflammatory reactions within the inner ear are deleterious to cochlea r function and can result in severe hearing loss that does not recover . This study investigated a guinea pig model of long-term cytomegalovi rus infection. At high doses active inflammation was still present aft er 35 days. At lower doses some ears showed partial resolution while o thers were still inflamed. Hearing was totally lost in all cases of pe rsistent inflammation. There was some residual hearing in the cases th at had resolved. Cochlear structures including the organ of Corti, str ia vascularis, and spiral ganglion were partially degenerated. Fibroti c matrix within scala tympani was ossified in many cases. These change s are consistent with those described for human cochleas following put ative viral infections.