Nasal Septum Flashcards

Explore the nasal septum's bones, cartilage, mucosal lining, arterial anastomoses, sensory nerves, and clinically important structures.

Card 1 of 28Question

What is the nasal septum?

The osteocartilaginous partition separating the right and left nasal cavities.

In This Section

1. What is the nasal septum?

The osteocartilaginous partition separating the right and left nasal cavities.

2. What are the three principal skeletal components of the nasal septum?

The perpendicular plate of the ethmoid, vomer, and septal cartilage.

3. Which bone forms the posterosuperior portion of the nasal septum?

The perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone.

4. Which bone forms the posteroinferior portion of the nasal septum?

The vomer.

5. What type of cartilage forms the anterior nasal septum?

Hyaline cartilage, forming the quadrangular septal cartilage.

6. Which bony structure supports the inferior border of the nasal septum?

The nasal crest formed by the maxillary and palatine bones.

7. Which part of the sphenoid bone articulates with the posterior border of the vomer?

The rostrum of the sphenoid bone.

8. What is the membranous nasal septum?

The flexible anterior septal tissue between the caudal septal cartilage and the columella.

9. What type of epithelium covers most of the nasal septum?

Pseudostratified ciliated columnar respiratory epithelium containing goblet cells.

10. Where is olfactory mucosa located on the nasal septum?

On the superior septum adjacent to the roof of the nasal cavity.

11. What is the mucoperichondrium of the nasal septum?

The mucous membrane and underlying perichondrium covering the septal cartilage.

12. How does the avascular septal cartilage receive nutrients?

By diffusion from blood vessels in the surrounding mucoperichondrium.

13. Which arteries contribute to the blood supply of the nasal septum?

The sphenopalatine, anterior and posterior ethmoidal, greater palatine, and superior labial arteries.

14. Which artery supplies much of the posterior nasal septum?

The posterior septal branches of the sphenopalatine artery.

15. What is Kiesselbach's plexus?

An arterial anastomotic network located in the anteroinferior nasal septum.

16. Why is Little's area clinically important?

Its superficial arterial network makes it a common site of anterior epistaxis.

17. Which nerve supplies general sensation to the posteroinferior nasal septum?

The nasopalatine nerve, a branch of the maxillary division of the trigeminal nerve (V2).

18. Which nerve supplies general sensation to the anterosuperior nasal septum?

The anterior ethmoidal nerve, a branch of the nasociliary nerve from the ophthalmic division (V1).

19. Which cranial nerve carries olfactory sensation from the superior nasal septum?

The olfactory nerve (cranial nerve I).

20. Through which bony canal does the nasopalatine nerve reach the anterior hard palate?

The incisive canal.

21. What are the principal venous drainage pathways of the nasal septum?

Veins communicating with the facial and ophthalmic veins and the pterygoid venous plexus.

22. Where does lymph from the anterior nasal septum primarily drain?

To the submandibular lymph nodes.

23. Where does lymph from the posterior nasal septum primarily drain?

To the retropharyngeal and upper deep cervical lymph nodes.

24. What is a deviated nasal septum?

Displacement of the nasal septum from the midline, potentially narrowing a nasal passage.

25. What is a nasal septal hematoma?

An accumulation of blood between the septal skeleton and its overlying mucoperichondrium or mucoperiosteum.

26. Why can an untreated septal hematoma cause cartilage necrosis?

Separation of the mucoperichondrium from the cartilage interrupts its nutritional supply.

27. What is a nasal septal perforation?

A full-thickness defect creating an abnormal communication between the two nasal cavities.

28. What external nasal deformity can result from loss of septal cartilage support?

A saddle nose deformity caused by collapse of the nasal dorsum.