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Shedding light on the tympanic membrane: a brief history of the description and understanding of its anatomy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 November 2021

R Baudouin ,
F Denoyelle  and
F Simon
R Baudouin*
Affiliation:
Department of Otolaryngology - Head & Neck Surgery, Foch Hospital, School of Medicine, UFR Simone Veil, Université Versailles Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (Paris Saclay University), Paris, France Department of Paediatric Otolaryngology, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, F-75015 Paris, France, Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, F-75006 Paris, France
F Denoyelle
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatric Otolaryngology, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, F-75015 Paris, France, Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, F-75006 Paris, France
F Simon
Affiliation:
Department of Paediatric Otolaryngology, AP-HP, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, F-75015 Paris, France, Université de Paris, Faculté de Médecine, F-75006 Paris, France
*
Author for correspondence: Dr Robin Baudouin, Paediatric Otolaryngology Department, Hôpital Necker – Enfants Malades, AP-HP, 149 rue de Sèvres, 75015Paris, France E-mail: Robin.baudouin@aol.com
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Abstract

Objective

For centuries, the tympanum has remained the only visible structure of the organ of hearing. This study aimed to trace the understanding of the tympanic membrane from antiquity to the early twentieth century.

Methods

A review was conducted of primary and secondary historical and scientific literature describing the tympanic membrane anatomy.

Results

Although ancient polymaths sensed that sounds were vibrations that could spread in the air and be perceived by the hearing organ, there were numerous misconceptions about the tympanum until human dissections performed during the Renaissance. The tympanum was correctly described only centuries later when technological advances enabled otologists to understand it as a fundamental part of the hearing organ.

Conclusion

The tympanic membrane history reflects key stages in medical knowledge; limited for centuries, a great technological leap was possible in the nineteenth century, contributing to the emergence of otologists and laying the foundations of modern otology.

Keywords

TympanumHistoryAnatomyOtorhinolaryngologic Diseases
Type
Review Article
Information
The Journal of Laryngology & Otology , Volume 136 , Issue 2 , February 2022 , pp. 97 - 102
Copyright
Copyright © The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of J.L.O. (1984) LIMITED

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Footnotes

Dr R Baudouin takes responsibility for the integrity of the content of the paper

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