[Certain anatomical explanations for the symptoms of Costen's syndrome]

An attempt is made to explain certain variability for display of Costen's syndrome. For this purpose, in 20 macerated skulls of mature persons certain structural peculiarities of separate elements of the temporomandibular joint (distance from the center of recess of the articular fossa up to the anterior area of the petrotympanic fissure, thickness of the tympanic part at the beginning of the fissure, its length and width at either side) have been studied. An essential individual variability of diameters is noted. In the group of persons where the measurements are taken from the right side, a greater right-sided variability for the length of the fissure is noted, and for the distance from the center of the recess of the articular fossa up to the petrotympanic fissure-the least absolute size is noted.