Suprameatal Triangle

In the temporal bone, between the posterior wall of the external acoustic meatus and the posterior root of the zygomatic process is the area called the suprameatal triangle, suprameatal pit, mastoid fossa, foveola suprameatica, or Macewen's triangle, through which an instrument may be pushed into the mastoid antrum.
In the adult, the antrum lies approximately 1.5 to 2 cm deep to the suprameatal triangle. This is an important landmark when performing a cortical mastoidectomy. The supreameatal triangle lies deep to the cymba conchae.

This article incorporates text from a public domain edition of Gray's Anatomy.

Bones of head and neck: the neurocranium of the skull (TA A02.1.01–07, GA 2.129–155)
Occipital
Squama
  • external
    • Inion/External occipital protuberance
    • External occipital crest
    • Nuchal lines
  • planes
    • Occipital
    • Nuchal
  • internal
    • Cruciform eminence
    • Internal occipital protuberance
    • Sagittal sulcus
    • Internal occipital crest
    • Groove for transverse sinus
Lateral parts
  • Condyle
    • Condyloid fossa
    • Condylar canal
  • Hypoglossal canal
  • jugular
    • Jugular process
    • Jugular tubercle
Basilar part
  • Pharyngeal tubercle
  • Clivus
Other
  • Foramen magnum
    • Basion
    • Opisthion
Parietal
  • Parietal eminence
  • Temporal line
  • Parietal foramen
  • Sagittal sulcus
Frontal
Squama
  • Frontal suture
  • Frontal eminence
  • external
    • Superciliary arches
    • Glabella
  • foramina
    • Supraorbital
    • Cecum
  • Zygomatic process
  • internal
    • Sagittal sulcus
    • Frontal crest
Orbital part
  • Ethmoidal notch
  • Fossa for lacrimal gland
  • Trochlear fovea
  • Frontal sinus
  • Frontonasal duct
Temporal
Squama
  • Articular tubercle
  • Suprameatal triangle
  • Mandibular fossa
  • Petrotympanic fissure
  • Zygomatic process
Mastoid part
  • Mastoid foramen
  • Mastoid process (Mastoid cells)
  • Mastoid notch
  • Occipital groove
  • Sigmoid sulcus
  • Mastoid antrum (Aditus)
Petrous part
  • Carotid canal
  • Facial canal (Hiatus)
  • Internal auditory meatus
  • Cochlear aqueduct
  • Stylomastoid foramen
  • fossae
    • Subarcuate fossa
    • Jugular fossa
  • canaliculi
    • Inferior tympanic
    • Mastoid
  • Styloid process
  • Petrosquamous suture
  • (note: ossicles in petrous part, but not part of temporal bone)
Tympanic part
  • Suprameatal spine
Sphenoid
Surfaces
  • Superior surface: Sella turcica
    • Dorsum sellae
    • Tuberculum sellae
    • Hypophysial fossa
    • Posterior clinoid processes
  • Ethmoidal spine
  • Chiasmatic groove
  • Middle clinoid process
  • Petrosal process
  • Clivus
  • Lateral surface: Carotid groove
  • Sphenoidal lingula
  • Anterior surface: Sphenoidal sinuses
Great wings
  • foramina
    • Rotundum
    • Ovale
    • Vesalii
    • Spinosum
  • Spine
  • Infratemporal crest
  • Sulcus for auditory tube
Small wings
  • Superior orbital fissure
  • Anterior clinoid process
  • Optic canal
Pterygoid
processes
  • fossae
    • Pterygoid
    • Scaphoid
  • pterygoid plates
    • Lateral
    • Medial
  • Pterygoid canal
  • Hamulus
Other
  • Body
  • Sphenoidal conchae
Ethmoid
Plates
  • Cribriform plate
    • Crista galli
    • Olfactory foramina
  • Perpendicular plate
Surfaces
  • Lateral surface Orbital lamina
  • Uncinate process
  • Medial surface Superior nasal concha
  • Superior meatus
  • Middle nasal concha
  • Middle meatus
Labyrinth
  • Ethmoid sinus
  • ethmoidal foramina
    • Posterior
    • Anterior

M: BON/CAR

anat (c/f/k/f, u, t/p, l)/phys/devp/cell

noco/cong/tumr, sysi/epon, injr

proc, drug (M5)