Faculty Collaboration Database

Perilymphatic fistula: analysis of free amino acids in middle ear microaspirates. Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1991 Jun;104(6):796-802

Date

06/01/1991

Pubmed ID

1908970

DOI

10.1177/019459989110400605

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0026040919 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   4 Citations

Abstract

High-performance liquid chromatography was used to determine 19 free amino acid concentrations in perilymph, serum/plasma, and red blood cell intracellular fluid. Significant differences were found between perilymph and these fluids. Free amino acid analysis was then used to quantitatively analyze middle ear microaspirates in order to test the hypothesis that perilymph is a potential source of clear fluid in perilymphatic fistulas (PLF). Fourteen unknown samples from patients with visually identified PLF, including patients with no identifiable otic capsule defect, were studied. Six samples on amino acid pattern analysis were correlated most similarly with perilymph (rrho greater than 0.95). Four of these six samples were scored on the basis of quantitative amino acid values as similar to perilymph. However, three samples of clear fluid were more similar to serum/plasma than to perilymph on both amino acid pattern and quantitative amino acid score analysis. These results objectively suggest perilymph as a potential source of clear fluid in some patients with a diagnosis of PLF. Not all clear fluid observed in the middle ear, however, is potentially perilymph.

Author List

Woodson BT, Fujita S, Mawhinney TP, Schweitzer VG, Peterson EL

Author

B Tucker Woodson MD Chief, Professor in the Otolaryngology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Alanine
Amino Acids
Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid
Ear, Middle
Erythrocytes
Fistula
Glutamine
Glycine
Humans
Labyrinth Diseases
Methionine
Perilymph
Serine