Human otoconia in surgical specimens.

The utricular otoconia of four patients, which were removed during surgical procedures (one for an eighth nerve section operation and three for removal of acoustic neuromas) with the use of the translabyrinthine approach, were observed with the scanning electron microscope. The otoconia of these patients showed some abnormal features. In three of the four patients, a number of otoconia were found to have cracked lines. One of these patients was a 14-year-old boy; the other patients were more than 40 years old. In the remaining case, the otoconial facet surfaces were rough, and a few otoconia were unusually shaped.