Nose & Sinus Anatomy and Physiology Flashcards
Function of nasal airway?
- Warm and humidify inhaled air
- Turbinates and septum
- Laminar flow
- Mucosal lining
- Humidification
- Sinuses are a reservoir of warm humid air
- Turbinates and septum
- Important for neonates
How is the nasal airway able to act as immune barrier?
- Specialised nasal mucosal lining
- First 1/3 stratified squamous epithelium
- Nasal hairs trap large particulates
- Posterior 2/3 pseudostratified columnar epithelium
- Cilia allows mucus to travel 2.5cm/min
- Goblet create sticky mucus that trap pathogens
- Mucus contains IgA, IgE (allergies), lysozymes, alkaline
- First 1/3 stratified squamous epithelium
What is the structure of the nasal epithelium?
- First 1/3 stratified squamous epithelium
- Nasal hairs trap large particulates
- Posterior 2/3 pseudostratified columnar epithelium
- Cilia allows mucus to travel 2.5cm/min
- Goblet create sticky mucus that trap pathogens
- Mucus contains IgA, IgE (allergies), lysozymes, alkaline
What does mucus contain?
- Mucus contains IgA, IgE (allergies), lysozymes, alkaline
Through what does smell occur?
- Olfactory nerve
- Through cribrifom plate
- Olfactory mucosa
What allows drainage and aeration of middle ear?
Drainage and aeration of middle ear:
- Eustachian tube
What are some functions of sinuses?
- Reservoir of warm humid air
- Lighten skull
- Crumple zones
- Vocal resonance
- Lined with same mucosa (immune barrier)
What are some of the external subunits of the nose?
- Columella
- Tip and supratip
- Dorsum
- Nasion
- Glabella
What are examples of common nasal trauma?
- Broken bones
- Move back before they heal
- Broken/bent cartilage
- Cannot be easily unbent
What fors the following of the nasal passage:
- roof
- walls
- floor
Roof:
- Skullbase/cribiform plate
Walls:
- Turbinates
Floor:
- Hard palate
What are some internal nasal associated structures?
- Paranasal sinuses
- Orbits
- Lamina papyracea
- Eustachian tube
- Adenoids
What is the midline of the nose?
Septum
What is the septum formed from?
Bone and cartilage:
- Septal cartilage
- Vomer
- Perpendicular plate of ethmoid
Where does nasal cartilage get blood supply from?
- Poor blood supply
- Gets blood supply from mucosa overlying it
- Relevant in septal haematoma
Septal haematoma - pathology
Septal haematoma = blood collects in the septum
Septal haematoma - aetiology
- Post trauma
Septal haematoma - presentation
- Almost always bilateral
- No blood supply to septum
- Causes septum necrosis, leading to perforation so needs to be drained as soon as possible