Glossary of Terms in Otolaryngology

Fissures of Santorini

  • The fissures of Santorini are natural openings in the lateral cartilaginous ear canal which are a potential route of spread for malignancy or infection to the parotid area.1
    • These are defects in the cartilaginous (lateral 1/3) part of the external auditory canal
  • Compare this to the Foramen of Huschke, which is an embryologic remnant in the medial bony ear canal which is another potential route of spread.2

Fissures of Santorini and Foramen of Huschke

  1. Isaacson, Brandon. “Anatomy and surgical approach of the ear and temporal bone.” Head and Neck Pathology 12.3 (2018): 321-327. ↩

  2. Lacout, Alexis, et al. “Foramen tympanicum, or foramen of Huschke: pathologic cases and anatomic CT study.” American journal of neuroradiology 26.6 (2005): 1317-1323. ↩

Last updated October 24, 2022
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