Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rigshospitalet, Denmark.
Otol Neurotol. 2011 Oct;32(8):1364-9. doi: 10.1097/MAO.0b013e31822e967f.
To identify structural differences between the endolymphatic sac of temporal bones with and without Ménière's disease by applying design-based stereology.
The dimension of the human endolymphatic sac has previously been studied by extrapolating 2-dimensional irregularities on the sectional level into 3-dimensional quantities via unfolding algorithms. These computer renderings require certain geometrical assumptions of the object studied. The term design-based used in the present study signifies that the methods and sampling schemes are defined a priori, in such a manner that consideration of the size, shape, spatial orientation, and distribution of the investigated structures are eliminated.
Archival materials of 15 human temporal bones with Ménière's disease and 15 control specimens were investigated by design-based stereology.
The total surface area of the endolymphatic sac was significantly lower in the Ménière's disease group (24.8 mm) compared with the control group (47.0 mm), p = 0.006. The volume fraction of the homogenous substance was significantly higher in the Ménière's disease group (17.5%) compared with the control group (5.7%), p = 0.031. No significant differences were found between the volumes of the homogenous substance, the volumes of the endolymphatic sac, and the surface-to-volume ratio in the 2 groups. The study revealed a large biological variation.
Design-based stereology is a robust, unbiased and efficient tool to quantify 3-dimensional structures derived from 2-dimensional histologic sections. A 2-fold reduction in the surface area of the endolymphatic sac and a 3-fold increase in the volume fraction of homogenous substance in temporal bones with Ménière's disease may, at least in part, be involved in the dysfunction of endolymph fluid homeostasis and the development of endolymphatic hydrops.
通过基于设计的体视学方法，识别有和无梅尼埃病的颞骨内淋巴管囊之间的结构差异。
此前，通过展开算法将截面水平上的二维不规则性外推到三维数量，研究人员已经研究了人类内淋巴管囊的尺寸。这些计算机渲染需要研究对象的某些几何假设。本研究中使用的基于设计的术语表示，方法和采样方案是事先定义的，以消除对所研究结构的大小、形状、空间方向和分布的考虑。
通过基于设计的体视学研究了 15 例梅尼埃病患者和 15 例对照颞骨的档案材料。
与对照组（47.0mm）相比，梅尼埃病组的内淋巴管囊总表面积明显较小（24.8mm），p=0.006。梅尼埃病组同质物质的体积分数明显高于对照组（17.5%对 5.7%），p=0.031。两组之间同质物质的体积、内淋巴管囊的体积和表面积与体积比均无显著差异。研究表明存在较大的生物学变异性。
基于设计的体视学是一种强大、无偏且高效的工具，可用于量化从二维组织学切片得出的三维结构。梅尼埃病患者颞骨内淋巴管囊表面积减少 2 倍，同质物质体积分数增加 3 倍，可能至少部分涉及内淋巴液流体动态平衡功能障碍和内淋巴积水的发展。
