Nasal anatomy and physiology Flashcards
What is the primary function of the nose?
Airway in respiration
What is the epithelium of the inner nose?
Respiratory ciliated columnar epithelium with goblet cells
What are the functions of the nose?
Warming of inspired air
Humidification
Filtration of large particles matter by coarse hairs in the nasal vestibule
Mucous production, trapping and ciliary clearance of particle matter
Immune protection
Olfaction
Drainage/aeration of the middle ear
Drainage of paranasal sinuses and nasolacrimanal duct
Voice modification
Pheremone detection
What is the function of the sinuses?
Hey with vocal resonance
Decrease weight of skull and facial bones
Acts as a buffer for trauma
What is the general makeup of the external nose?
1/3 bone
2/3 cartilage
What forms the external nose?
Frontal process of maxilla and nasal part of frontal bones
From superior to inferior, what are the structures of the external nose?
Glabella Nation Dorsum Supratip Tip Collumnella
What is the partition up the centre of the nose?
Nasal septum
What are the lateral walls of the internal nose called?
Turbinates
What is the roof of the internal nose called?
Cribriform plate
What is the floor of the internal nose called?
Hard palate
What are the associated structures of the internal nose?
Paranasal sinuses
Nasopharynx
What are the turbinates of the nose?
3 bony like projections from the lateral wall of the nose
What are the 3 turbinated associated with?
Each associated with respective meatus
What is the clinical relevance of the turbinates?
Esp inferior
Can cause nasal blockage due to infection or inflammation
How is nasal blockage due to turbinates managed?
Topical steroid sprays or surgically with reduction surgeries
What are the different paranasal sinuses?
Frontal
Maxillary
Ethmoid
Sphenoid
What are the relations of the frontal and ethmoid sinuses?
Anterior cranial fossa
What are the relations of the maxillary sinuses?
Orbits
What are the relations f the sphenoid sinuses?
Optic nerve
Internal carotid
Cavernous sinus
What is the importance of the relations of sinuses?
Spread of infections, risks of surgery
What does the inferior meatus drain?
Nasolacrimal duct
What does the middle meatus drain?
Frontal sinus
Maxillary sinuses
Anterior and middle ethmoid cells
What does the superior meatus drain?
Posterior ethmoid air cells
What does the spheno-ethmoid recess drain?
Sphenoid sinuses
How is nasal blood supply divided?
Anterior and posterior
What is the blood supply of the anterior nose?
Branches of internal carotid artery- ophthalmic artery, branching to the anterior and posterior ethmoid arteries
What is the blood supply of the posterior nose?
Branches of external carotid- sphenopalatine artery
What is Little’s area?
Region in anteroinferior part of the nasal septum where 4 arteries anastomose to form a vascular plexus
What is the nerve supply of the nose?
Branches of the trigeminal
