title: Revisiting the Anatomy of the Facial Recess: The Boundaries of the Round Window Exposure.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The exposure of the round window (RW) through the facial recess (FR) is sometimes partial. The anatomic variations that alter RW exposure during cochleostomy have not been clearly defined to date.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to assess the best FR position in which to achieve the widest exposure of the RW niche and to define the topographic relationship between two other important anatomical structures, the facial nerve (FN) and the chorda tympani (CT).
  
  
  METHODS
  Cadaver study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four temporal bones were included in the study. Anterior and posterior epitympanectomy and posterior tympanotomy were performed after mastoidectomy. Bone was removed until the FN and CT were skeletonized and the CT branching point was visible. Two pictures were taken. The first was taken when the facial recess was at its widest exposure, while the second was taken when the RW niche was maximally exposed through the facial recess. Various measurements were taken.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The RW niche was totally visible in 19 temporal bones (79.2%). The RW was partially visible in the remaining five bones (20.8%). The unexposed part of the RW lay posteromedial to the FN in these five bones. While the branching point of the CT could be visualized in all cases at the widest exposure of RW, the part of the FN distal to the branching point was hidden in eight subjects (33.3%) under the posterior wall of the external ear canal.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The RW niche was totally visible in most of the temporal bones. The RW lay posteromedial to the FN in some cases and total exposure was impossible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Kerem
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Öztürk
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sercan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Göde
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Servet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Çelik
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mustafa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Orhan
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Okan
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Bilge
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Cem
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bilgen
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Tayfun
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kirazlı
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Ege University School of Medicine, İzmir, Turkey.
authors.forename: Canan Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Saylam
keywords: Round window; chorda tympani; cochlear implantation; facial recess