It has been suggested that otosclerosis might be caused by a generalized disorder in the connective tissue.

The biophysical and biochemical properties of skin biopsies from twelve patients with otosclerosis and twelve age- and sex-matched controls were investigated. No differences were found in skin strength and extensibility, skin thickness, collagen content, the relationship between collagen type I and type III, reducible collagen cross-links and molecular stability of collagen type I of samples from patients with otosclerosis as compared with those from the controls. The present study does not support the suggestion that otosclerosis might be a generalized connective tissue disorder.

An unusual squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx containing numerous multinucleated osteoclast-like giant cells in described. These cells occurred in areas of vigorous angiogenesis and haemorrhage. To our knowledge, this is the first case of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells reported in the literature. The patient has remained alive and free of clinical disease 5 years and 4 months after the original diagnosis.