Otosclerosis

Otosclerosis
Other names	Otospongiosis
Chain of ossicles and their ligaments. (Stapes visible near center right.)
Specialty	Otorhinolaryngology

Otosclerosis is a condition of the middle ear where portions of the dense enchondral layer of the bony labyrinth remodel into one or more lesions of irregularly-laid spongy bone. As the lesions reach the stapes the bone is resorbed, then hardened (sclerotized), which limits its movement and results in hearing loss, tinnitus, vertigo or a combination of these.^[1][2][3][4] The term otosclerosis is something of a misnomer: much of the clinical course is characterized by lucent rather than sclerotic bony changes, so the disease is also known as otospongiosis.