Abstract
Julius Lempert (1891–1968) was one of the most revolutionary and innovative neuro-otologists
of the 20th century. He had a remarkable role in advancing the field of otolaryngology
to its modern shape and form, especially through his groundbreaking introduction of
the fenestration procedure for the treatment of otosclerosis. Although he is highly
celebrated by many neuro-otologists for his contributions to our surgical and anatomical
understanding of the petrous bone, he is not well known to the neurosurgical community.
In this article, we give a detailed account of Dr. Lempert's life and discuss his
invaluable contribution to skull base petrous bone anatomy and surgery through his
pioneering work on the complete apicectomy for the treatment of suppurative petrous
apicitis.
Keywords
petrous apex - apicectomy - internal carotid artery - mastoidectomy - suppurative
apicitis - skull base