Inflammatory Disease of the Temporal Bone of the Brush Tail Rat (Octodontomys Gliroides): A Radiologic-Clinical-Pathologic Correlation

It is well known that rodents are especially susceptible to diseases of the inner ear. This condition is suspected clinically when head tilt, weight loss, and/or staggering gait develop. Physical examination may be difficult due to the length and small diameter of the external auditory canal; moreover, the ear canal is frequently filled with cerumen. We have recently had the opportunity to radiograph the temporal bone of brush tail rats (Octodontomys gliroides) affected with vestibular signs, and to compare these radiographs with those of the temporal bone of clinically normal animals. The histopathologic appearance of the affected bones was compared to the temporal bones in the normal brush tail rat.