Nose + Pterygopalatine Fossa Flashcards
surgical access to pterygopalatine fossa?
through the maxillary sinus - elevate upper lip, transverse maxillary gingiva and anterior wall of sinus, posterior wall then chipped away to open anterior wall of fossa
what is epistaxis?
nose bleed
what happens with excessive deviated nasal septum?
can obstruct breathing or exacerbate snoring
what is rhinitis?
swollen and inflamed nasal mucosa
where can infections of nasal cavity spread? (5 places)
- anterior cranial fossa through cribriform plate
- nasopharynx and retropharyngeal soft tissues
- middle ear through auditory tube
- paranasal sinuses
- lacrimal apparatus and conjunctiva
what area is the most common for causing nosebleeds?
anterior 1/3 of nose = Kiesselbach area
what is sinusitis?
inflammation and swelling of the mucosa of the paranasal sinuses
what is panisinusitis?
when many sinuses are inflamed
how can severe infections of ethmoidal cells cause blindness?
some posterior ethmoidal cells lie close to the optic canal
how can severe infections of ethmoidal cells cause optic neuritis?
spread of infection from the cells to the dural sheath of the optic nerve
which sinuses are most commonly infected?
maxillary - b/c of small ostia high on superomedial walls
how can a maxillary sinus be cannulated and drained?
pass a cannula from naris through the maxillary ostium into the sinus
transillumination of a maxillary sinus
normally, light passes through sinus and appears as a crescent shaped dull glow inferior to orbit
-if excess fluid: glow is decreased
transillumination of a frontal sinus
normally produces a glow superior to the orbit