An Important Landmark in the Middle Cranial Fossa Approach: The Arcuate Eminence*

Abstract

The arcuate eminence (AE) which is a bony prominence located on the anterior surface of petrous pyramid and overlies the superior semicircular canal, next to tegmen tympani, is an important landmark in the middle cranial fossa approach (MCF). In most temporal bones, AE can easily be detected, while in some others, it is not prominent; in this situation inner ear surgery through MCF could be difficult. For this reason, the relationship of SSC with neighbour anatomical structures is important for proper localization of AE. The purpose of our study is to investigate these relationships for topographic orientation to the temporal bone in the MCF approaches to inner ear.

Keywords

• arcuate eminence
• middle cranial fossa surgery
• superior semicircular canal
• inner ear surgery.