Figure 8.

Morphological adaptations of Hensen’s cells during reticular lamina degeneration. (A, B, and C) Hensen’s cells, marked by the arrows, retain their typical shape in areas with complete OHC loss, while three rows of pharyngeal scars remain evident. (D, E, and F) With the loss of phalangeal scars, Hensen’s cells fill the void, causing a narrowing of the reticular lamina (as indicated by arrows). (G, H, and I) Hensen’s cells extend to cover the entire organ of Corti in areas where the reticular lamina structure is no longer visible. Arrows point to the region where galectin-3 positive Hensen’s cells cover the Deiters’ cells. Notably, Claudius’ cells lack galectin-3 immunoreactivity. The asterisk marks the region where all Deiters’ and pillar cells are absent, with the structure being covered by galectin-3 positive Hensen’s cells.