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"Success of middle ear surgery is dependent of the degree of mastoid Pneumatization" -Holmquist
Introduction:
Pneumatization of temporal bone is divided in to 5 compartments: 1. Middle ear 2. Mastoid 3. Perilabyrinthine 4. Petrous apex 5 Accessory: This region include Squamous, zygomatic, occipital and styloid cells.
COMMUNICATIONS
These tracts communicate with each other. Postero superior and postero medial cell tract: These tracts extend medially through the antrum to pneumatize the medial pyramid. The posterosuperior tract lies at the level of above the level of Internal acoustic meatus. Subarcuate tract: This tract arises more medially from the mastoid antrum, extending anteromedially passing below the superior semicircular canal. This tract often participates in the formation of posterosuperior tract and may pneumatize the Petrous apex.
COMMUNICATIONS
Perilabyrinthine cell tract: This tract pneumatizes the labyrinthine area. It divides into supralabyrinthine and infra labyrinthine tracts.
Peritubal cell tract: This tract pneumatizes the tubal and Peritubal area.
Temporal bone Pneumatization can be best studied by High resolution CT scan. This procedure shows clearly the complete Pneumatization with excellent resolution.
Temporal bone Pneumatization is symmetrical in 75% of normal individuals. Any asymmetrical Pneumatization indicates middle ear disease.
THEORIES OF PNEUMATISATION
Mastoid Pneumatization can fail due to various causes leading to the formation of sclerosed mastoid. Various theories have been proposed to account for this failure of Pneumatization process. These theories include: Wittmaack theory: ----- This theory is otherwise known as endodermal theory. This was first proposed by Wittmaack, who believed normal middle ear mucosa is a must for normal Pneumatization to proceed. ----- In the presence of infantile Otitis media the Pneumatization of temporal bone may get arrested causing a failure of the process of Pneumatization. ------ Infantile Otitis media is common in premature infants due to meconium soiling of the middle ear cavity.
THEORIES CONTD
Tumarkin theory: This theory proposed by Tumarkin states that failure of Pneumatization occur due to failure of middle ear aeration due to Eustachian tube dysfunction. Diamant and Dahlberg: Suggested that dense bone is congenital and is a normal anatomical variant. Ikarashi proved that long lasting inflammation increases bone mass thereby preventing normal Pneumatization.