The foramen of Huschke: age and gender specific features after childhood.

The foramen of Huschke (FH) is an aperture that is formed in the tympanic plate of the temporal bone at the age of about 1 year. The FH usually closes before the age of 5 years; but it occasionally persists throughout life. A persistent FH may result in complications such as temporomandibular joint (TMJ) herniation and salivary fistula formation, and facilitate ear injury during TMJ arthroscopy. In this study, the authors examined 1994 temporal bones from 997 Japanese dry skulls, in order to define age and gender specific features of the persistent FH after childhood. A persistent FH was found in 12% of men and in 20% of women, representing a female predominance (P<0.0001). The incidence of a persistent FH decreased with age in both genders, suggesting that a persistent FH can close over time.