The Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Air Sinuses

Question 1

What are the paranasal air sinuses?

Answer 1

Air gilled spaceds of facial bones

Question 2

What kind of epithelium forms the respiratory mucosa which lines most of the nasal cavity?

Answer 2

Pseudostratified columnar ciliated epithelium

Question 3

What is the roof of the nasal cavity lined by?

Answer 3

Olfactory mucosa

Question 4

Which cranial nerve, responsible for the sense of smell, innervates this mucosa?

Answer 4

Olfactory (cranial nerve 1)

Question 5

Which plate of bone lying on the roof of the cranial cavity do axons of this nerve pass through to enter into the cranial cavity?

Answer 5

Cribiform plate of the ethmoid bone

Question 6

Answer 6

Crista galli

Question 7

What are the 3 lateral wall projections called?

Answer 7

Conchae

Question 8

What is the space inferior to each concha called?

Answer 8

Meatus

Question 9

Answer 9

Question 10

What is the name given to the space above the superior concha?

Answer 10

Sphenoethmoidal recess

Question 11

The inferior concha is a separate bone. What bone are the superior and middle conchae parts of?

Answer 11

Perpendicular plate of ethmoid bone

Question 12

The nose has a rich arterial supply from what?

Answer 12

Branches of the ophthalmic artery (itself a branch of the ICA) and also branches of the ECA.

Question 13

What is venous drainage of the nose done by?

Answer 13

Venous plexus

Question 14

What implications does this rich vascular supply of the nose have for a common clinical condition?

Answer 14

Commonly get nose bleeds- Epistaxis

This is Littes Area

Question 15

What opens into the meatus?

Answer 15

A number of structures including opening of paranasal air sinuses and the nasolacrimal duct open into the meatuses

Question 16

What are the paranasal air sinuses?

Answer 16

Air filled extensions of the nasal cavity

Question 17

What are the functions of the paranasal air sinuses?

Answer 17

Lighten weight of the head

Increase resonance of the voice

Question 18

Respiratory mucosa similar to and continuous with the lining of the nasal cavity lines the paranasal air sinuses. What is the clinical significance of this fact?

Answer 18

Respiratory Infections can easily spread through and infect sinuses.

Question 19

What open into the spehnoid ethmoidal recess?

Answer 19

Sphenoid sinus

Question 20

What open into the superior meatus?

Answer 20

Posterior ethmoidal air cells

Question 21

What open into the middle meatus?

Answer 21

Maxillary sinus

Frontal sinus

Anterior ethmoidal air cells

Middle ethmoidal air cells

Question 22

What open into the inferior meatus?

Answer 22

Nasolacrimal duct

Question 23

Why is it essential that sinuses can drain freely into nasal cavity?

Answer 23

Due to it being lined by secretory mucosa

Question 24

What sinus has its opening not at its most inferior part and therefore does not drain well?

Answer 24

Macxillary sinus

Question 25

What air sinus has their floor indented with tooth sockets?

Answer 25

Maxillary sinus

Question 26

What is sinus inflammation called?

Answer 26

Sinusitis

Question 27

What can sinusitis result iN?

Answer 27

Blockage of the sinus opening into the nasal cavity subsequently resulting in severe sinus pain

Question 28

What is the pain sensation for sinusitis carried by?

Answer 28

Braches of the trigeminal nerve innervating the sinus

Question 29

Name the branches of CN V that innervate the following air sinuses:

Answer 29

Frontal air sinus: CNV1

Maxillary air sinus: CNV2

Spehnoid air sinus: CNV1 and V2

Ethmoidal air cells: CNV2