The pars flaccida is the small, thin, slack upper part of the eardrum above the malleolar folds. It lacks the firm fibrous layer of the pars tensa.
| Location | Upper part of the tympanic membrane, above the lateral process of the malleus |
|---|---|
| Parts |
|
| Nerve Supply | Auriculotemporal nerve; Auricular branch of the vagus nerve; Tympanic plexus (glossopharyngeal nerve, inner surface) |
| Blood Supply | Deep auricular artery; Anterior tympanic artery; Stylomastoid artery |
Allows some pressure buffering of the upper middle ear (attic).
Because it is weak, negative middle ear pressure can suck it inwards to form a retraction pocket, which may trap skin and become a cholesteatoma that erodes bone. Attic retraction is checked carefully during ear examination.
A skin cyst growing from a pars flaccida retraction pocket that erodes the ossicles and nearby bone.
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