[The endoscopic anatomy of the middle ear (a dissection study)].

The objective of the present work was to study the specific endoscopic anatomical features of the middle ear using the dissected temporal bones with the intact tympanic membrane. The 18 cm long endoscopes 4 mm in diameter with a visual angle from 0 to 45 degrees in the combination with some other microinstruments, such as ear pincers, needles, curettes, elevators, and suction tubes, were used during the examination. It was shown that endomeato-transtympanic endosopy provides a panoramic view of almost all structures of the middle ear. After the resection of the posterior bone edge of 'annulus tympanicus', the use of the 45o endoscope ensured the panoramic view not only of certain structures of the middle ear (e.g. the tympanic chord, the stapedius muscle tendon, the entire pyramidal process) but also of the structures of the retrotympanic and anterior epitympanic spaces.