Globuli interossei as a manifestation of bone resorption.

Utilizing special staining technics and polarized light, the globuli in-terossei of adult human temporal bones have been identified as foci of osteolytic bone resorption. The interosseous foci were demonstrated to consist of depolymerized bone mucopolysaccharide and fragmented bone canaliculi with varying degrees of resorption evident in the immediately surrounding bone. The possible significance of such resorption areas in the early stage of otosclerosis is suggested.