Hoppe F, Hagen R, Hofmann E
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Würzburg, Germany.
ORL J Otorhinolaryngol Relat Spec. 1997 Mar-Apr;59(2):115-8. doi: 10.1159/000276920.
Congenital malformations of the inner ear are well described, though the combination with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leaks remains controversial. In this paper a case of a bilateral Mondini malformation with a CSF otorrhea on one side is reported. The malformed stapes contains a perforation in the middle of the footplate and associated thinning analogous to a pothole in a mountain stream. The histological findings support the hypothesis of pulsatile flow of CSF as origin of the perforation of the footplate.
