Endoscopic Anatomy of the Pediatric Middle Ear

Abstract

Traditionally, otologists have aimed to produce a clean, dry, safe ear with the best possible hearing result. More recently, "less invasively" has been added to this list of goals. The development of small-diameter, high-quality rigid endoscopes and high-definition video systems has made totally endoscopic, transcanal surgery a reality in adult otology and a possibility in pediatric otology. This article reviews the anatomy of the pediatric middle ear and its surrounding airspaces and structures based on the work of dozens of researchers over the past 50 years. It will focus on the developmental changes in ear anatomy from birth through the first decade, when structure and function change most rapidly. Understanding the limits and possibilities afforded by new endoscopic technologies, the pediatric otologist can strive for results matching or exceeding those achieved by more invasive surgical approaches.

Endoscopic transcanal approach to the middle ear for management of pediatric cholesteatoma

“…This has been attributed to a learning curve and is likely to reduce over time. Average operative time reported for EES 3 cases in large pediatric series are 208 minutes . Our average time for all EES 2 and 3 cases was similar at 204 minutes, and our EES 3 cases averaged 154 minutes; these were not statistically different from EES 1 cases.…”

“…Average operative time reported for EES 3 cases in large pediatric series are 208 minutes. 16 Our average time for all EES 2 and 3 cases was similar at 204 minutes, and our EES 3 cases averaged 154 minutes; these were not statistically different from EES 1 cases. At our institution, we have a large amount of trainees (3 to 4 residents and 2 fellows at any time) and face a steep learning curve.…”

Morphological and morphometrical study of the auditory ossicles in chinchilla

“…Data related to the detailed anatomy of the auditory ossicles are relatively limited. A few elements were reported in case of birds (Mills, ), different rodents (Kerber & Sánchez‐Villagra, ; Kurtul et al, ; Lee, Park, Kang, & Choung, ; Li, Gao, Ding, & Salvi, ; Maier, Tröscher, & Ruf, ; Martins et al, ; Mohammadpour, , ; Şanlı, Sedat, & Oztürk, ), humans (García‐Real, Kass, Sturges, & Wisner, ; Isaacson, ), swine (Gurr, Kevenhörster, Stark, Pearson, & Dazert, ; Hoffstetter et al, ; Pracy, White, Mustafa, Smith, & Perry, ), miniature pigs (HaiJin et al, ), sheep (Ayres Seibel, Lavinsky, & Preto De Oliveira, ; Simaei, Soltanalinejad, Najafi, & Shalizar Jalali, ), chinchilla (Vrettakos, Dear, & Saunders, ; Wang & Gan, ), cat (Beck, Kilchling, & Meyer‐Lindenberg, ; Seifert et al, ), dog (Berghes, Parvu, Cucoanes, & Cuca, ) and wolf (Gürbüz et al, ), badger (Rozen‐Rechels, Peigné, Germain, & Ladevèze, ), horse (Blanke, Aupperle, Seeger, Kubick, & Schusser, ), donkey (Awal et al, ), common degu (32) or other subterranean cavimorphes (Argyle & Mason, ).…”

Pediatric endoscopic ear surgery in clinical practice: Lessons learned and early outcomes

“…1). 1 The benefits of endoscopic ear surgery (EES) are relevant in the pediatric patient population, 2 where the ear canal is narrower and the majority of middle ear procedures are performed using a postauricular approach.…”