9.0 Pterygopalatine Fossa and Nasal Cavity Flashcards
What are the 3 main cartilages found on the external nose?
Lateral nasal cartilage, major alar cartilage, and minor alar cartilages
Where can the respiratory area and olfactory area of the nasal cavity be found?
The respiratory area is in the inferior 2/3 and the olfactory area is in the superior 1/3.
What is the opening of the sphenoid sinus into the nasal cavity called?
Spheno-ethmoidal recess
What is the opening of the ethmoidal sinuses into the nasal cavity called?
Supeior nasal meatus
What is the opening of the frontal sinus and maxillary sinus into the nasal cavity called?
Middle nasal meatus
What is the opening of the nasolacrimal duct into the nasal cavity called?
Inferior nasal meatus
What branches of the maxillary artery supply the nasal cavity?
Sphenopalatine A.
Anterior/posterior ethmoidal As.
Greater palatine A.
What branches of the facial artery supply the nasal cavity?
Superior labial A.
Lateral nasal branches
What is the clinical significance of Kiesselbach’s area?
It is where the main arteries of the nasal cavity converge in a capillary bed that can bleed profusely.
Where is the maxillary sinus located relative to the sphenoid sinus?
It is more anterior and inferior
What are the boarders of the pterygopalatine fossa? (anterior, posterior, medial, lateral, roof, floor)
Anterior: maxillary tuberosity
Posterior: pterygoid process of the sphenoid (lateral plate)
Medial: perpendicular plate of the palatine bone
Lateral: opens into the infratemporal fossa via the pterygomaxillary fissure
Roof: (incomplete) greater wing of the sphenoid
Floor: pyramidal process of the palatine bone
What are the openings of the pterygopalatine fossa? (superior and inferior)
Superior: opens into inferior orbital fissure
Inferior: closed except for palatine foramen
What are the contents of the pterygopalatine fossa?
Maxillary nerve (CN V2)
Pterygopalatine ganglion
Third part of maxillary artery
Describe the passage of parasympathetic fibers into the pterygopalatine ganglion.
Comes from facial nerve (CN VII) via the greater petrosal nerve. The greater petrosal nerve joins with the deep petrosal nerve to form the nerve to the pterygoid canal, but the parasympathetic fibers are still from the greater petrosal nerve. Can go on to innervate lacrimal gland.
Describe the passage of sympathetic fibers into the pterygopalatine ganglion.
Deep petrosal nerve arrises from internal carotid plexus and conveys post-synaptic sympathetic fibers that may join but NOT synapse with branches of the maxillary nerve. The pre-synaptic sympathetic fibers come from the superior cervical ganglion.
Identify nerves 1-8
Identify arteries 1-13
