Incidence and Characterization of Foramen of Huschke in Dry Skulls

Abstract

The foramen of Huschke (FH) is a hole in the tympanic ring of the temporal bone, which normally closes spontaneously until the age of 5 years. When it persists, it can cause symptoms such as otalgia, otorrhea, tinnitus, spontaneous salivary fistula, soft tissue herniation and even facilitate the spread of infections or tumors in the ear canal. In this study we aimed to evaluate the incidence and morphology of FH in dry skulls. For this, 110 skulls (55 male skulls and 55 female skulls), belonging to the Anatomy laboratory of the Federal University of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, were evaluated for presence, laterality, shape, quadrant and measurement. All data were tabulated and statistically analyzed. The results revealed that 24 skulls (21.81%) present FH, being predominant in females (p < 0.05). Bilaterality occurred in 13 skulls (54.2%), with the intermediate shape being the most common, and located in the Super Medial quadrant. The mean dimensions varied between 1.83 and 2.11 mm (longitudinal) and 2.25 and 2.49 mm (transverse), in women, and 1.43 and 1.8 mm (longitudinal) and 1.21 and 1.25 mm (transverse) in men, with no significant difference between measurements. These findings highlight the clinical relevance of FH and suggest the need for more research capable of evaluating not only the presence of FH, but its characteristics and its relationships with the pathological conditions associated with its presence.