trommehule

Trommehulen, also known as the tympanic cavity, is an air-filled space within the temporal bone of the skull, located medial to the eardrum and lateral to the inner ear. It is a crucial component of the middle ear, responsible for transmitting sound vibrations. The trommehulen is an irregular cavity, roughly 15 mm long, 2 mm wide at its narrowest point, and 6 mm high. It is lined with a mucous membrane and contains three small bones called ossicles: the malleus, incus, and stapes. These ossicles articulate with each other and connect the eardrum to the oval window, an opening in the bone that leads to the inner ear.

The trommehulen is connected to the nasopharynx by the Eustachian tube, also known as the auditory tube. This tube plays a vital role in equalizing pressure between the middle ear and the outside atmosphere, which is essential for proper eardrum function and hearing. The trommehulen also communicates with air cells in the mastoid process, a bony prominence behind the ear. Infections or inflammation of the trommehulen are common and can lead to conditions like otitis media, or middle ear infection. The functions of the trommehulen are essential for our ability to hear, as it efficiently channels and amplifies sound waves from the environment to the inner ear's sensory cells.