The structure of the mastoid portion of the temporal bone has been thoroughly studied, and the nature and extent of its pneumatization are now well understood. The form, arrangement and relationships of the cells in the petrous portion have not been described with equal thoroughness. The present study finds its justification in the current demand for reliable information concerning the anatomy of this important subdivision of the temporal bone.Siebenmann1 made the first painstaking study of the air cells of the temporal bone; by means of corrosion preparations he demonstrated the shape and connections of the mastoid cells and of certain lesser pneumatic spaces situated beyond the mastoid region, stating that they penetrate everywhere with the exception of the squama and the anterior wall of the external auditory meatus. Illustrations of the corrosion specimens (see also Bezold and Siebenmann2) are still being copied in textbooks of anatomy and otology.
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