HNS Flashcards
Where are the paranasal sinuses found?
Frontal - above the eye
Maxillary - under the eye
Ethmoidal air cells - behind the eye
Sphenoidal - behind the ethmoid bone
How do you palpate the lateral mass of atlas?
Found between the mastoid process (inferior part of the temporal bone) and the ramus of the mandible (verticle part of mandible)
What passes through the foramen magnum?
Spinal fibres of accessory nerve (CN XII) Inferior portion of medulla Vertebral arteries Anterior and posterior spinal arteries
What type of movements can occur at the atlanto-axial joint?
Lateral rotation of the neck - the side to side ‘no’ rotation of the head.
What is the surface marking of C7?
1st palpable vertebrae
What passes through the carotid canal?
Internal carotid artery
What passes through the Hypoglossal canal?
Hypoglossal nerve (CN XII)
What passes through the Foramen rotundum?
Maxillary branch of trigeminal nerve (CN V2)
What is the surface marking of L2?
L1 - two down from T12.
T12 can be found as a midway point from the inferior border of the scapular and superior border of illiac crest.
How do you palpate the cervical lymph nodes?
- Inform the patient - “I am just going to feel for glands in the neck and jaw”
- Ask them to tell you if they feel any pain or discomfort
- Palpate from behind the patient where possible
- Move your fingers along in circular motions
- Don’t lift them off the patient in case you miss any
- Do it in this order:
- Submental
- Sub mandibular
- Paratracheal - along the SCM
- Antierior cervical
- Supraclavicular
- Posterior cervical nodes
Then move back up:
- Pre-auricular nodes
- Post-auricular nodes
- Occipital nodes
Describe the range of flexion/extension possible at the different regions of the vertebral column
Cervical = large range
Upper thorax (T1-T7) = no range
Lower thorax (T7-T12) = very limited range
Lumbo-sacral = large range
How would you test the motor function of the vagus nerve?
Ask the patient to open their mouth and say ‘ahh’
This is done as it depresses the tongue making the uvula easier to see (use a pen torch)
Look for any deviation in the uvula to one side
Note:
It deviates to the side opposite the lesioned side if the vagus is lesioned
“the uvula runs away from the wound”
This is because the vagus causes the levator muscles to contract which pull the uvula upwards wrong both sides
What is the surface marking of L4?
L4 - level of iliac crest
How would you test the motor function of the trigeminal nerve?
Mandibular division V3 supplies Temporalis and masseter - 2 muscles of mastication
- Inform the patient what you’re doing “I’m going to feel the muscles you use to chew with and ask you to clench your jaw when I say so”
- Tell them to inform you is there’s any pain or discomfort
- Palpate the masseter on both sides before and during clenching their jaw
- Do the same for temporalis
What are the afferent and efferent pathway of pupillary constriction?
Afferent:
- Ganglion cells in eye
- Optic nerve (CN II)
- Optic tracts
- Pretectal nucleus
- Edinger-Westphal nucleus
Efferent:
- Edinger-Westphal nucleus
- Parasympathetic fibres along occulomotor nerve (CN III)
- Ciliary ganglion
- Parasympathetic fibres along ciliary nerves (CN V1)
- Sphincter pupillae - constriction
What passes through the jugular foramen?
Glossopharyngeal nerve (CN IX) Vagus nerve (CN X) Accessory nerve (CN XI) Sigmoid sinus -> becomes internal jugular vein
What passes through the Internal acoustic meatus?
Facial nerve (CN VII) [entry into the cranium] Vestibulocochlear nerve (NC VIII) Labyrinthine artery
What is the innervation of the extrinsic muscles of the eye?
Lateral rectus - CN VI (Abducens)
Supeior oblique - CN IV (Trochlear)
Medial rectus, Inferior oblique, Superior and inferior rectus - CN III (occulomotor)
What is the surface marking for injection of an epidural?
In adults:
- L3/4 or L4/5 junction used
- Spinal cord ends at L1/2 and becomes corda equinae
- Corda equinae displaces upon injection to reduce risk of damage
In children:
- Aren’t fully developed so the spinal cord continues lower down relative to the vertebral column
- L4/5 used
What is the surface marking of T3?
In line with the inferior part of the spinous process of the scapular
How do you test the ipsilateral and contralateral pupillary light reflex?
- Shine a light into one eye - check the ipsliateral shrinking (miosis)
- Move the light away from the eye for 3 seconds
- Shine a light into the same eye - check the consensual shrinking of the pupil in the other eye
- Repeat with the other eye
Note:
Check for pain or discomfort
What are the afferent and efferent pathways of the corneal reflex?
Afferent:
- Touch
- opthalmic branch of trigeminal
Efferent:
- facial motor nucleus
- facial nerve (CN VII)
- orbicularis oculi muscle