Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions — written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Mastoid
Introduction
Overview
Overview
The mastoid process is a conical prominence projecting from the undersurface of the mastoid portion of the temporal bone. It is located just behind the external acoustic meatus, and lateral to the styloid process. Its size and form vary somewhat; it is larger in the male than in the female.
This process serves for the attachment of the Digastric, Sternocleidomastoid, Splenius capitis, and Longissimus capitis muscles.
The word is derived from the Greek ‘masto-‘, alluding to its resemblance to the breast.
Editor-In-Chief: Template:Infobox Bone C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]