Abstract
Objective: Compare the prevalence of cupular and free-floating deposits in the semicircular canals between temporal bones of type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and normal controls.
Method: Forty-eight temporal bones from 24 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and 48 age-matched normal temporal bones from 24 individuals were histopathologically examined. The cupula and lumina of the semicircular canals were examined for evidence of deposits.
Results: The prevalence of cupular and free-floating deposits in the posterior semicircular canal were significantly higher in type 2 diabetes mellitus cases compared with normal temporal bones. The prevalence of cupular deposits in all 3 canals combined had a tendency to be higher in patients treated with insulin therapy than in patients treated via oral hypoglycemic agents. The prevalence of these deposits was not associated with either aging or duration of disease.
Conclusion: Our findings suggest that type 2 diabetes mellitus can cause cupular and free-floating deposits in the semicircular canals. Patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus may suffer from benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, unrelated to duration of disease.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.