Surgical anatomy of the anterior supralabyrinthine air cell tract

Introduction: In order to safely explore the medial wall of the attic, a working knowledge of the anatomy of the anterior supralabyrinthine air cell tract is required.Aim: To clarify the surgically relevant anatomical relationships that comprise the anterior supralabyrinthine air cell tract.Materials and methods: Surgical dissection of 10 fresh cadaveric temporal bones was undertaken, including measurement of distances between the key anterior supralabyrinthine anatomical landmarks.Results: The following mean distances were calculated: the labyrinthine segment between the geniculate ganglion and the ampullated end of the superior semicircular canal, 2.33 mm (range 1.75-2.75); the tympanic segment between the anterior margin of the oval window niche and the geniculate ganglion, 3.58 mm (range 3.25-4); and from the tympanic segment adjacent to the anterior margin of the oval window niche to the labyrinthine segment adjacent to the superior semicircular canal, 3.48 mm (range 3-4.25).Conclusion: The key anatomical landmarks of the anterior supralabyrinthine air cell tract define a distinct triangular segment of bone, knowledge of which is helpful in surgical dissection.