Espiral AtlasNasal cavity
cavitas nasi
Study entry
Location
Behind the piriform aperture, divided into right and left by the nasal septum; it opens into the nasopharynx through the choanae.
Structure
On the lateral wall, the superior, middle (processes of the ethmoid) and inferior (own bone) nasal conchae, curved downward, covered by mucosa with large vascular spaces that regulate the caliber of the cavity. Five passages: the sphenoethmoidal recess, the superior, middle and inferior meatuses (below each concha) and the common meatus, medial.
Source: cap. 8, «Nariz: características de las cavidades nasales»
Clinical correlation
Nasal fracture and deviated septum
Because it is prominent, the nose fractures easily in car accidents and sports, especially from lateral force. The fracture deforms the nose and usually causes epistaxis. In severe cases, bones and cartilages are displaced, and a direct blow can fracture the cribriform plate of the ethmoid. The nasal septum is often deviated to one side, from traumatic birth or, more commonly, from trauma in adolescence or adult life. If the deviation touches the lateral wall of the cavity, it hinders breathing or worsens snoring. Surgery can correct it.
Rhinitis
The nasal mucosa becomes swollen and inflamed (rhinitis) in upper respiratory infections and allergic reactions. The edema appears quickly because of the rich vascularization. Infection of the nasal cavity can spread to the anterior cranial fossa through the cribriform plate, to the nasopharynx and the retropharyngeal tissues, to the middle ear through the auditory tube, to the paranasal sinuses and to the lacrimal apparatus and the conjunctiva.
Epistaxis
Nosebleed is frequent because of the abundant blood supply of the mucosa. It is generally traumatic and comes from the anterior third of the nose, Kiesselbach's area. It is also associated with infections and hypertension. Blood that spurts indicates rupture of an artery. Picking the nose ruptures veins of the nasal vestibule and causes moderate epistaxis.
Related clinical cases
- Nasal fracture and deviated septum
- Rhinitis
- Epistaxis