| Description |
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The middle ear cleft, or tubotympanic cavity, originates in the nasopharynx at the nasopharyngeal opening of the eustachian tube (the torus tubarius). It consists of three main components: the mastoid air cell system, the middle ear cavity, and the eustachian tube. The mastoid air cell system consists of a series of small air cells which are interconnected with each other, and with the middle ear via the aditus ad antrum. These air cells are lined with a thin flat pavement epithelium (the mastoid mucoperiosteum).
Proper function of the eustachian tube is critical for both normal aeration and function of the middle ear cleft.
Malfunction of the eustachian tube is the prime cause of most disorders of the middle ear. |
