Nose/Sinus Flashcards
What is the function of the nasal airway?
Warms and humidifies air
Important for neonates (breathe through nose)
Immune barrier
Smell
Drainage of middle ear (eustachian tube)
Drainage of paranasal sinuses and lacrimal duct
What type of epithelium lines the first 1/3 of the nose?
Stratified squamous epithelium
What type of epithelium lines the posterior 2/3 of the nose?
Pseudostratified columnar epithelium
What is the function of the sinuses?
Reservoir of warm air Lightens skull Crumple zones Vocal resonance Immune barrier
How much of your nose is bony and how much is cartilaginous?
1/3 bony
2/3 cartilaginous
What is the different between broken bones and broken/bent cartilage in nasal trauma?
Bones - move back before healing
Cartilage - cannot be easily unbent
What forms the roof of the nose?
Skull base/Cribiform plate
What forms the wall of the nose?
Turbinates
What forms the floor of the nose?
Hard palate
What makes up the septum?
Septal cartilage
Vomer
Perpendicular plate of ethmoid
Where does cartilage in the septum get its blood supply from?
Mucosa overlying cartilage
Relevant in septal haematoma
What is a septal haematoma?
Blood between the muscoa and nasal septum
What happens as a result of a septal haematoma?
No blood supply to septum = septal necroses
Can lead to perforation
What are turbinates?
Bony scroll-like projections from lateral wall of nose
What is the function of the nasolacrimal duct?
Drainage pathway of lacrimal secretions from the lacrimal sac
Where does the nasolacrimal duct drain into?
Opens under inferior turbinate in nose
Where is the frontal sinus located?
Behind eyebrows
Where does the frontal sinus drain?
Into frontal recess via middle meatus
Where are the ethmoid sinuses located?
Between eyes (posterior and anterior)
Where does the anterior ethmoid sinus drain to?
Middle meatus
Where does the posterior ethmoid sinus drain to?
Superior meatus
what drains the sphenoid sinus?
Spenoethmoidal recess
What are the complications of sinusitis in relation to the sphenoid sinus?
Pressure on optic nerve
Severe sinusitis can cause neurological complications
Where is the maxillary sinus located?
Behind each cheek
How is the maxillary sinus drained?
Via middle meatus
What is the medical management of sinusitis?
Remove allergic triggers
Treat infection
Reduce inflammation (steroids)
Surgery (remove polyps, open sinus drainage pathways)
What are the risks of surgery to treat sinusitis?
Orbital damage from damage to lamina papyracea
CSF leak and meningitis from damage to skull base
What does the external nose receive its blood supply from?
Sphenopalatine artery (via maxillary artery) Great palatine (via maxillary artery) Superior labial (via facial artery)
What does the internal nose receive its blood supply from?
Anterior and posterior ethmoidal artery (via opthalmic)
What is the most common site of nosebleeds?
Little’s area
What supplies nasal innervation?
CN V1 (opthalmic) and V2 (maxillary) Sensation - vidian nerve (parasympathetic)
What are the structures found in the post nasal space?
Adenoids
Eustachian tube opening
Soft palate muscles attachment to eustachian tube
Fossa of Rosenmuller
