Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
retrolabyrinthine

retrolabyrinthine

9.9
An area behind the inner ear that surgeons use to reach nearby nerves during surgery
  • adjective
  • /ˌrɛtroʊˌlæbɪnˈθin/
  • Specialized
: retrolaberíntico
  • The surgeon used a retrolabyrinthine approach to reach the tumor behind the labyrinth of the inner ear.

Examples

  • Damage to the retrolabyrinthine area can affect hearing and balance.

  • A retrolabyrinthine pathway allows access to certain cranial nerves during surgery.

  • The surgeon used a retrolabyrinthine approach to reach the tumor near the inner ear.

  • The retrolabyrinthine area is crucial for auditory function.

  • Can you explain the retrolabyrinthine anatomy?

  • A retrolabyrinthine pathway is essential for accessing certain cranial nerves during ear surgery.

  • Damage to the retrolabyrinthine area may lead to difficulties with hearing and maintaining balance.

Surface Forms

retrolabyrinthine positive

Morphology

retrolabyrinthine = labyrinthine (semi-transparent) = retro + labyrinth + ine

Formation is regular (retro- + labyrinthine) and semantically literal, but both 'retro-' and the adjective 'labyrinthine' are technical terms that may not be obvious to average learners.

Etymology

Retrolabyrinthine breaks into retro- meaning 'behind' and labyrinth meaning 'maze' (the inner ear is often called a labyrinth). So, retrolabyrinthine simply means 'behind the inner-ear maze', which is why the word names areas or surgical approaches behind the inner ear.