About the book:

The temporal bone is a very complicated part of the human body that’s why the ear surgery requires many anatomical details. The ‘Handbook of the Tympanic Cavity’, explored in great depth the bony anatomy of the tympanic cavity. It contains 407 macroscopic photos, histological slides, histological drawings and schematic illustrations. The author studied the various structures of the tympanic cavity, one by one, and presented these findings in individual chapters. The goal of this work was to be of help in getting to know and understand the different variations of the bony structures in the middle ear. To do this, the chapters all include a detailed explanation of the embryology regarding the relevant structures. As the temporal bone continues to develop after birth, the author has followed the development and growth of these structures from the 4^th fetal month to the elderly, describing the morphological signs typical for the given period. Emphasis has been placed throughout onto the embryology that is particularly relevant to ear surgeons. 

Anatomy is rarely the centre of interest as, like in all disciplines dealing with morphology, it is often considered to be a complete mess of boring data. One can only expect readers to be attentive if they are presented with interesting and stimulating material. This is the aim of the rich illustrations found throughout the book. In most of the chapters there are schemes that help the reader to understand the general construction of the given structure. Directly next to these schemes there are photos that show the actual structure and at the same time the histological slides are presented which show even greater detail. 

The book has been written with the intention of being used by ear surgeon and the physicians of all levels can find the necessary information regarding the anatomy of the tympanic cavity. All the main structures are discussed in separate chapters, which have been divided yet further into 4 subsections. The first contains a general description, in which many cases the characteristics of the structure are detailed with examples of each in the form of macroscopic anatomy. Further detailed information is provided in the submacroscopic anatomy section. Following this the changes in the temporal bone from the 4^th fetal month through to the elderly are examined (embryology) in order to better understand the submacroscopic variations.

The author hopes that this book will be of great help to ear surgeons, both when planning operations and when interpreting unusual anatomical situations. Several experts were consulted during the writing of this book and the invaluable information gleaned from these individuals that have enabled further depth to be added to the book.

Preface of the book by  Prof. Ugo Fisch

Miklós Tóth has written a book of basic importance to the Otologist since the precise knowledge of the anatomy of the Tympanic Cavity is the prerequisite for any successful surgical action in this field.

The book is special because the Author does not introduce the reader to practical anatomical landmarks aimed to reach safely and quickly a surgical goal but leads him to discover the beauty and perfection of the anatomical structures forming the Tympanic Cavity.

If we embark in Miklós Tóth’s Book we have not to expect to be carried through a quick guided tour of the Tympanic Cavity aimed on how to reach safely a surgical goal. What we find is, on the contrary, a collection of superb descriptions and admirable illustrations of the details of one of the most complex anatomical regions of the human body.

The main idea of the author was to provide the reader with all the descriptive information needed to recreate at will, “like with a Lego game”, his own, personalized vision of any special region within the tympanic cavity.

The reconstruction of a practically oriented from a merely descriptive anatomical view is left to the reader and this exercise may be considered by some difficult and tedious. However, it still remains one of the best ways to learn the surgical topography of the Tympanic Cavity particularly if the available descriptive data are so well exposed and illustrated as in this book.

The experience gained with the dissection of hundreds of temporal bones enables Miklós Tóth to take us by hand through an unusual journey from the Protympanum to the Mastoid Cavity and to explain us with heartbreaking precision the submicroscopic, microscopic and macroscopic features of the surrounding anatomical landscapes. The embryologic information given for each chapter is a most original and valuable contribution because it is very helpful for the understanding of the many variations observed among the structures of the Tympanic cavity.

 A surgeon, in contrary to the Anatomist, is not used to stop his action to admire the beauty of the surrounding. The fascination of Miklós Tóth’s book originates from the awareness of the stimulating contrast between the practical, simplifying mind of the Surgeon and the descriptive, contemplative view of the Anatomist.

This difference is exemplified by the description of the surface of the Promontory, which is compared in the book to an “arid desert giving the impression of an area of desolation where a stranger would be completely lost while natives make use of the smallest signs to orient themselves with confidence and ease and navigate the area safely within an accuracy of 0.1 mm”.

The divergence between practical and descriptive views may also have some drawbacks. For instance, the definition of “stapedial fossa” instead of “oval window niche” my be anatomically correct but may create some confusion because it defies the current clinical nomenclature.

Nevertheless, one cannot avoid to be captivated by the enthusiasm emanating from the precise anatomical descriptions and beautiful illustrations contained in this book, which convey the magic attraction and the incomparable beauty of nature’s perfection.

All those having anatomical or surgical interest in the Tympanic Cavity will read with great pleasure and enormous profit this passionate, exceptionally well-written and illustrated book.

Ugo Fisch

Miklós Tóth was born in 1972 in Hungary. Before being accepted to the Semmelweis Medical University in 1993, he worked as a surgeon assistant for 2 years after finishing high school. He earned his degree in the year 2000 with his diploma work titled ’Endoscopical Anatomy of the Tympanic Cavity’. From then on, until 2005, he was a PhD student researching the development of pre and postnatal temporal bones for 5 years, which lead to his 3 main fields of interest:

- Endoscopy of the Tympanic Cavity
- Surgical Anatomy of the Temporal Bone
- Histopathology of the Head and Neck Region

From 1997 on, he worked in several hospitals as follows:

1997: Krems, Austria
1998: Berlin, Freie Universitat
1998, 2000 and 2004: Salzburg
2000: Pittsburgh University, Pittsburgh
2000: Harvard Medical School, Boston
2002: Kopf Klinik, Würzburg
2006: J. Gutenberg Universität, Mainz

Besides researching, teaching and working as a full-time medical doctor, his hobbies are woodcarving, photography and studying religion history.