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Anatomy > The Nasal and Oral Cavities > Flashcards

The Nasal and Oral Cavities Flashcards

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1
Q

What separates the left and right nasal cavities from each other?
from the oral cavity inferiorly?
from the brain superiorly?

A

Thin, midline septum formed of cartilage and bone
Hard palate (the floor of the nasal cavity)
Bone - cribriform plate (the roof of the nasal cavity)

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2
Q

What lies posterior to the nasal cavity?

A

The nasopharynx
Also paranasal sinuses

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3
Q

Describe composition of midline nasal septum

A

Anteriorly- formed of cartilage
Posteriorly- formed of 2 thin plates of bone: superiorly the perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone, inferiorly the vomer

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4
Q

Describe the lateral wall of the nasal cavity

A

3 projections of bone (superior, middle, inferior) - conchae or turbinates

Spaces inferior to them are meatuses (superior, middle, inferior)
Air travelling through meatuses is warmed, humidified and filtered

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5
Q

What happens to air as it travels through the meatuses?

A

It is warmed, humidified and filtered

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6
Q

Describe the anatomy of the cribriform plate

A

Separates nasal cavity from cranium and brain
Delicate section of bone, perforated with holes

Mucosa in upper part of nasal cavity contain olfactory receptors. The axons of these nerves travel through the perforations to the brain.

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7
Q

Describe blood supply to the nasal cavity

A

Several arteries, including branches of maxillary artery (a terminal branch of external carotid)
An anastomotic network supplies nasal septum, often site of bleeding in epistaxis

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8
Q

Sensory innervation of nasal cavity?

A

Branches of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)

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9
Q

Name CN V

A

Trigeminal nerve

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10
Q

What are the 4 sinuses?

A

Frontal, ethmoid, sphenoid, maxillary

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11
Q

Where are the frontal sinuses?
Where do they drain?

A

Anterior part of the frontal bone (forehead ones)
Drains into middle meatus

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12
Q

Where are the ethmoid air cells/sinuses?
Where do they drain?

A

They are air cells that lie within the ethmoid bone
posterior to frontal sinuses, anterior to sphenoid sinuses
(superior to the nasal cavity and medial to the orbits)

Drains into superior and middle meatus

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13
Q

Where are the sphenoid sinuses?
Where do they drain into?

A

The sphenoid bone
Most posterior sinus, posterior to ethmoid sinuses

Drain into spheno-ethmoidal recess (above superior turbiculate)

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14
Q

Where are the maxillary sinuses?
Where do they drain into?

A

The maxillae of the facial skeleton. (pyramidal cheek sinuses)
They lie lateral to the lateral walls of the nasal cavity

Drain into middle meatus - lies superomedially - cant drain fully when head is upright

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15
Q

The nasal cavity receives the nasolacrimal duct. What is it?

A

It drains the fluid that lubricates the anterior surface of the eye.
Opens into inferior meatus
Why we get a runny nose when we cry

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16
Q

What gives us a runny nose when we cry?

A

Nasolacrimal duct

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17
Q

How does the nasal cavity communicate with the middle ear?

A

Eustachian tube - auditory tube - connects middle ear to nasopharynx
Opening seen on lateral wall of nasopharynx surrounded by bulge of tonsillar tissue

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18
Q

What is the middle ear?

A

Small cavity in the temporal bone
Modified for hearing - 3 tiny bones that transmit sound waves to inner ear

Allows air to pass into middle air for equal air pressure either side of the tympanic membrane (between middle and external ear)

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19
Q

Describe the palate

A

Anterior - bone - hard palate
Posterior - muscle - soft palate
Palate is the roof of the oral cavity

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20
Q

What forms the hard palate?

A

Palatine process of maxillae
Horizontal plates of palatine bones

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21
Q

Function of the hard palate?

A

Prevents food/fluid entering nasal cavity

Tongue pushes up against is in 1st phase of swallowing - forces food/fluid backwards into oropharynx

Tongue pushes up against hard palate to articulate certain sounds

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22
Q

What is a cleft palate?

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A

Palate doesn’t form properly in embryological development.
e.g. don’t develop properly, don’t fuse in midline
Difficulty eating, swallowing and speech if not repaired surgically

23
Q

Describe the soft palate

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A

Midline conical projection - uvula - hangs from posterior border of soft palate, seen at the back of the mouth

Composed of several muscles - contract during swallowing to elevate the soft palate

24
Q

Purpose of soft palate

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A

Muscles contract, soft palate elevated, nasopharynx closed off from oral cavity, prevents reflux of food and fluid

25
What innervates muscles of the soft palate?
Vagus nerve CN X
26
Epistaxis
Nosebleed Mostly arise due to trauma, can happen spontaneously Usually applying pressure stops it, but can be profuse esp on anticoagulants Bleeding can be cauterised if pressure doesn't help, or a nasal tampon can be inserted to compress the vessels
27
Fracture of the nose
Breaking of the nasal bones or septum - blunt trauma Nose may be deviated to one side May fracture cribriform plate - must be considered in patients with nasal trauma
28
Sinusitis
Inflammation or infection of mucosa lining Problematic if it affects maxillary sinuses as they don't drain freely. Inflammation of maxillary sinus may cause pain in the cheek as sensory nerve for the cheek runs in the roof of the sinus
29
Describe the borders of oral cavity
Superior - hard and soft palate Inferior - soft tissues and muscles (floor of mouth) Laterally - cheeks (contain the buccinator muscles)
30
What is an analgesia?
Drug prescribed for pain
31
How many teeth in an adult? Maxilla and mandible?
32 teeth 16 in maxilla (upper jaw) 16 in mandible
32
What are the 4 types of teeth? How many of each in the upper/lower jaw?
Incisors - 4 Canines - 2 Premolars - 4 Molars - 6
33
What are teeth composed of?
Inner pulp - blood vessels and nerves Dentin - surrounds the pulp Enamel - outer, hard coating
34
What happens in erosion of teeth?
Enamel/dentin can be eroded by bacteria or foodstuffs Leads to decay, inflammation and infection of pulp Painful Infection may spread to the bone - abscess formation
35
What is the vallecula?
Space between the posterior tongue and epiglottis
36
Describe the tongue position and appearance
Superiorly - papillae on the surface, some detect taste Anterior part - lies in oral cavity Posterior part - the root - extends into oropharynx
37
What is the muscle composition of the tongue?
Intrinsic muscles - paired bilaterally and fuse in the midline - change the shape of the tongue Extrinsic muscles - attached to the tongue but originate outside of it (mandible and hyoid bone) - they move the tongue
38
Which nerve innervates the muscles (motor function) of the tongue?
Hypoglossal nerve CN XII
39
Describe the sensory innervation of the tongue
Facial nerve VII - taste in the anterior 2 thirds of the tongue Trigeminal nerve V - general sensation(touch, pain, temp) in anterior 2 thirds Glossopharyngeal nerve IX - taste and general sensation in posterior third
40
What vessels supply the oral cavity?
Lingual, maxillary and facial arteries - all branches external carotid artery
41
Innervation of the oral cavity?
Soft palate - vagus nerve Tongue - CN V,VII,IX for sensory for motor
42
Name the 4 tonsils and where they are found
Pharyngeal tonsil - roof and posterior wall of nasopharynx (adenoid) Tubal tonsil - surrounds opening of auditory tube on lateral wall of nasopharynx Palatine tonsil - lateral wall of oropharynx, visible when mouth is open Lingual tonsil - collection of lymphoid tissue in the posterior tongue
43
What are the 3 pairs of salivary glands in the oral cavity? What stimulates glandular secretion?
Parotid gland Submandibular glands Sublingual glands Stimulated by parasympathetic
44
Describe the parotid salivary gland?
Biggest paired salivary gland Overlies posterior part of mandible Saliva enters mouth via parotid duct - adjacent to upper 2nd molar tooth
45
How is parotid gland related to facial nerve?
After exiting skull, facial nerve enters deep surface of parotid gland. Divides into 5 branches to innervate the muscles of facial expression
46
What stimulates secretion of parotid gland?
Parasympathetic fibres in glossopharyngeal nerve.
47
Describe submandibular glands
Smaller than parotid glands Lie inferior to the body of the mandible, anterior to the angle Submandibular duct opens into floor of mouth, under tongue
48
Describe sublingual glands
Lie in the floor of the mouth Open via several small ducts into floor of the mouth
49
What stimulates secretion of submandibular and sublingual glands?
Parasympathetic fibres in the facial nerve.
50
Hypoglossal nerve injury
Injury to left or right results in atrophy and weakness or paralysis of ipsilateral tongue muscles. Tongue deviates to affected side when patient protrudes their tongue (muscles on unaffected side continue to function)
51
Nasal and oral cancer
Cancer of nasal cavity or sinuses is rare Cancer can develop in structures associated with the mouth - oral mucosa, tonsils, tongue, salivary glands Mouth cancers may present as ulcers, lumps, or patches of discolouration on oral mucosa
52
Tonsillitis and tonsillectomy
Tonsillitis is inflammation of the tonsils, most commonly palatine - may be due to viral or bacterial Tonsils become enlarged , red, covered in pus(white spots) - Swallowing is painful Pharyngeal tonsil - adenoid - common in children - may obstruct the nearby opening of the auditory tube - fluid accumulation in middle ear and hearing impairment recurrent infection my lead to removal - tonsillectomy
53

Anatomy (18 decks)

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