On the relationship between the cross-sectional area of the aditus ad antrum and mastoid pneumatization in high resoluted computed tomography

Introduction The pneumatization of the mastoid part of the temporal bone is assigned a major role in the pathogenesis and therapy of middle ear diseases.The trapped air in the mastoid serves as a reservoir, that can alleviate pressure differences in the tympanic cavity. Lack of mastoid pneumatization was emphasized as an unfavorable factor in the development of middle ear diseases. Accordingly, a good pneumatization is considered a favorable factor in middle ear surgery. So far, several pathways of pneumatization of the mastoid process have been discussed: i) genetic predisposition, ii) pneumatization via the activity of the mastoid epithelium and iii) pneumatization via the Eustachian tube, the tympanic cavity and the aditus ad antrum.