The relation between the position of meddle ear cavity and surrounding cell walls in suppressed pneumatization

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The intention of this experiment was to investigate whether anatomical variation of the temporal bone such as low middle fossa dura, anterior position of the sigmoid sinus or small mastoid process, which are often seen at surgery in cholesteatoma patients, are caused by inflammation in early childhood. In 15 pigs, 1.5ml paraffine liquid were instilled into the left tympanic cavity within 7 days after birth in order to produce inflammation of the middle ear and tubal dysfunction. After six months, the length and area of the mastoid process were significantly smaller on the left instilled side than on the right normal side. In all cases there was remarkable hypocellularity and increased thickness of the cortical bone strongly supporting the environmental theory of the pneumatization that inflammation suppresses the pneumatization process and growth of the mastoid process.