An original inner ear neuroepithelial degeneration in a deaf Rottweiler puppy

Histopathological investigation was conducted on both inner cars from a 4.5 -month-old Rottweiler puppy with electrophysiologically confirmed bilateral deafness. The lesions were restricted to the organ of Corti and spiral gan glion that both displayed severe degenerative changes. The outer hair cells were less affected than the inner hair cells. The number of spiral ganglio n neurons was reduced, and remaining neurons were altered. The basal and mi ddle cochlear turns were more affected than the apical one. The vestibules were normal. Immunostaining with calbindin, calretinin, S100A1 and S100A6 p olyclonal antisera was helpful in identifying different cell-types in the d egenerated cochlea. The early and severe spiral ganglion cell degeneration is an uncommon finding no matter the species. Such lesions bear significanc e within the frame of cochlear implants technology for deaf infants. (C) 20 01 Published by Elsevier Science B.V.