Otosclerotic focus and facial canal.

NUMEROUS publications about otosclerosis contain illustrations which clearly show participation of otosclerosis in the formation of the wall of the facial canal. Legends to these pictures, detailed as they are as to other findings, do not contain remarks pertaining to this phenomenon. A few examples are reports by Bruehl 1 (1905) who did note that otosclerotic bone occurred along the facial canal; Lange 2 ( 1926, Fig 16); Nager and Fraser 3 (1938, Fig 6); Guild 4 ( 1944, Fig 7 and 8); and Fleischer 5 (1958, Fig 2). The reason for disregarding such an obvious histologie finding may be due to the fact that facial nerve paralysis is not a part of the clinical syndrome of otosclerosis. Extension of the otosclerotic focus to the wall of the facial canal is so common that it seemed worthwhile to bring it to attention. The relationship of the otosclerotic focus in the facial canal