Imaging the collagen layer of the human tympanic membrane, on which the human hearing ability depends, is possible in vivo by using endoscopic polarization-sensitive optical coherence tomography (PSOCT), as we have shown recently. Since the resolution of the utilized system was limited, an ex vivo validation of the structural information is presented here. By comparing higher resolution PSOCT images of a temporal bone specimen and polarized light microscopy (PLM) of histological slices cut from the same sample and stained with picrosirius red, the microstructure is investigated. Besides matching PSOCT and PLM images, the methodical differences are discussed.
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