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The Epic Interactive Encyclopedia 1998
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Epic Interactive Encyclopedia, The - 1998 Edition (1998)(Epic Marketing).iso
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Otosclerosis
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1992-09-01
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608b
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16 lines
Overgrowth of bone in the middle ear causing
progressive deafness. This inherited
condition is gradual in onset, developing
usually before middle age. It is twice as
common in women as in men. The middle ear
cavity houses the sound-conduction mechanism
called the ossicular chain, consisting of
three tiny bones (ossicles) that magnify
vibrations received at the eardrum for onward
transmission to the inner ear. In
otosclerosis, extraneous growth of spongy
bone immobilizes the chain, preventing the
conduction of sound. Surgery is necessary to
remove the diseased bone and reconstruct the
ossicular chain.