Unit 1 Nasal Cavity and Paranasal Sinuses

Question 1

What are the functions of the nasal cavity?

Answer 1

To provide an airway, olfaction, warming and moistening of inspired air, cleansing of inspired air

Question 2

What is the proper term for nostrils?

Answer 2

Nares (narus = singular)

Question 3

What divides the nasal cavity into right and left chambers?

Answer 3

Nasal septum

Question 4

What is the posterior boundary of the nasal cavity?

Answer 4

Choanae

Question 5

What is the anterior boundary of the nasal cavity?

Answer 5

Nostrils (nares)

Question 6

What are the posterior apertures of the nasal cavity which open into the nasopharynx?

Answer 6

Choanae

Question 7

What is the free end of the nose called?

Answer 7

Tip

Question 8

What part of the nose connects it to the forehead?

Answer 8

Root

Question 9

What nose feature bound the nares laterally?

Answer 9

Ala

Question 10

What forms the roof of the nasal cavity?

Answer 10

Nasal bone, frontal bone, cribriform plate of the ethmoid bone, and the body of the sphenoid bone

Question 11

What forms the floor of the nasal cavity?

Answer 11

Palatine process of the maxilla and the horizontal plate of the palatine bone

Question 12

What is the name for the floor of the nasal cavity itself?

Answer 12

Hard palate

Question 13

What forms the medial wall of the nasal cavity (nasal septum)?

Answer 13

Septal cartilage, perpendicular plate of the ethmoid bone, and the vomer

Question 14

Why is it important for the septal cartilage to be located anteriorly?

Answer 14

Prevent broken noses

Question 15

What is “vomer” in Latin?

Answer 15

Plowshare

Question 16

What is a deviated septum?

Answer 16

When the nasal septum does not lie in the median plane

Question 17

What can happen when the nasal septum is severely deviated?

Answer 17

It can touch the lateral wall and cause breathing difficulties and/or exacerbate snoring

Question 18

What causes a deviated septum?

Answer 18

Congenital malformation, birth injury, or postnatal trauma

Question 19

What forms the lateral wall of the nasal cavity?

Answer 19

Nasal bone, frontal process of the maxilla, lacrimal bone, ethmoid bone, inferior nasal concha, perpendicular plate of the palatine bone, medial pterygoid plate of the sphenoid bone

Question 20

What structure makes up the nasal conchae?

Answer 20

Thin bone (NOT cartilage)

Question 21

Which conchae are from the ethmoid bone?

Answer 21

Superior and middle nasal conchae

Question 22

What are the functions of the nasal conchae?

Answer 22

Increase surface area for more efficient moistening, warming, and cleaning of the air; increases turbulence for olfaction

Question 23

What can be an anatomical variation among the nasal conchae?

Answer 23

A highest nasal concha can be present above the superior nasal concha (also part of the ethmoid bone)

Question 24

What is the small space located above and behind the superior nasal conchae that receives the opening of the sphenoid sinus?

Answer 24

Sphenoethmoidal recess

Question 25

What is the space below the superior nasal concha called that receives the opening of the posterior ethmoidal cells?

Answer 25

Superior meatus

Question 26

What is the space below the middle nasal concha that receives the openings of the frontal sinus, maxillary sinus, middle ethmoidal cells, and the anterior athmoidal cells?

Answer 26

Middle meatus

Question 27

What is the rounded projection into the middle meatus called?

Answer 27

Ethmoidal bulla

Question 28

What is the curved slit lying below the ethmoidal bulla within the middle meatus called that the frontonasal duct, anterior ethmoidal cells, and maxillary sinus open into?

Answer 28

Hiatus semilunaris

Question 29

What is the space below the inferior nasal concha called that receives the opening of the nasolacrimal duct?

Answer 29

Inferior meatus

Question 30

What does the nasolacrimal duct connect?

Answer 30

Lacrimal sac of the orbit to the nasal cavity

Question 31

What is the nasal vestibule?

Answer 31

Area just inside each nostril

Question 32

What does each nasal vestibule contain?

Answer 32

Hair, sebaceous glands, and sweat glands

Question 33

What is the significance of the nasal vestibule?

Answer 33

Initial filter of air

Question 34

Where is the respiratory region of the nasal cavity?

Answer 34

Lower two thirds

Question 35

After the age of 50, at what rate are olfactory receptors lost?

Answer 35

1% per year

Question 36

What is the term for loss of olfaction?

Answer 36

Anosmia

Question 37

What makes up the olfactory region of the nasal cavity?

Answer 37

Superior nasal concha and upper one third of the nasal septum

Question 38

Where do fibers of the olfactory nerve pass through?

Answer 38

Cribriform plate

Question 39

Special sensory innervation of the nasal cavity comes from which cranial nerve?

Answer 39

Olfactory (I)

Question 40

General sensory innervation of the nasal cavity are from which nerves?

Answer 40

Branches of the maxillary and ophthalmic divisions of the trigeminal nerve (CN V)

Question 41

What is the autonomic innervation of the nasal cavity?

Answer 41

Pterygopalatine ganglion

Question 42

What is significant about the blood supply to the nasal cavity?

Answer 42

Highly vasularized

Question 43

The primary blood supply to the nasal cavity are from which arteries?

Answer 43

Sphenopalatine branch of the maxillary artery and the anterior ethmoidal branch of the ophthalmic artery

Question 44

What is the term for a nosebleed commonly due to high blood supply?

Answer 44

Epistaxis

Question 45

Which form of epistaxis involves small branches in or near vestibule caused by minor trauma, low humidity, or high altitude?

Answer 45

Mild

Question 46

Which form of epistaxis involves spurting arterial blood resulting from rupture of the sphenopalatine branch of maxillary artery (at major anastomoses) caused by major trauma?

Answer 46

Severe

Question 47

What are other causes of both mild and severe forms of epistaxis?

Answer 47

Hypertension (precursor to stroke), blood disorders, cocaine abuse

Question 48

Where does lymph from the nasal cavity drain?

Answer 48

Into the deep cervical nodes

Question 49

To where do all paranasal sinuses open?

Answer 49

Nasal cavity

Question 50

Why is it important for the paranasal sinuses to open into the nasal cavity?

Answer 50

Allowance of sinus drainage

Question 51

Where is the frontal sinus located?

Answer 51

Within the frontal bone

Question 52

To where does the frontal sinus open?

Answer 52

Opens into the hiatus semilunaris via the frontonasal duct

Question 53

Which paranasal sinus drains while sleeping?

Answer 53

Maxillary

Question 54

Which paranasal sinus is most prone to infection due to poor drainage because of a superior opening?

Answer 54

Maxillary

Question 55

Which paranasal sinus is the largest?

Answer 55

Maxillary

Question 56

Where is the maxillary sinus located?

Answer 56

Within the maxilla, lateral to the nasal cavity and inferior to the orbit

Question 57

Which is the only paranasal sinus that may be present at birth?

Answer 57

Maxillary

Question 58

Why are sinus infections more prevalent among adults?

Answer 58

Only one paranasal sinus is present at birth

Question 59

Where is the sphenoidal sinus located?

Answer 59

Within the body of the sphenoid bone opening into the sphenoethmoidal recess

Question 60

What does "labyrinth" mean?

Answer 60

Maze

Question 61

What does the term labyrinth refer to?

Answer 61

Ethmoidal sinus

Question 62

Where is the ethmoidal sinus located?

Answer 62

Within the ethmoid between the orbit and nasal cavity

Question 63

What are the three groups of cells that make up the ethmoidal sinus?

Answer 63

Posterior, middle, and anterior ethmoidal cells

Question 64

Where do the posterior ethmoidal cells open into?

Answer 64

Superior meatus

Question 65

Where do the middle ethmoidal cells open into?

Answer 65

Ethmoidal bulla within the middle meatus

Question 66

Where do the anterior ethmoidal cells open into?

Answer 66

Hiatus semilunaris within the middle meatus

Question 67

Where can an infection of the nasal cavity spread?

Answer 67

Paranasal sinuses, nasopharynx, pharyngotympanic tube, nasolacrimal duct to lacrimal apparatus & conjunctive, anterior cranial fossa via cribriform plate, mastoid air cells from middle ear via aditus

Question 68

What is the proper term for an infection in the paranasal sinus?

Answer 68

Sinusitis

Question 69

What is the proper term for an infection in the nasopharynx?

Answer 69

Acute pharyngitis

Question 70

What is the proper term for an infection in the pharygotympanic tube?

Answer 70

Otitis media

Question 71

What is the proper term for an infection in the nasolacrimal duct?

Answer 71

Conjunctivitis (pink-eye)

Question 72

What is the proper term for an infection in the anterior cranial fossa via the cribriform plate?

Answer 72

Meningitis or brain abscess

Question 73

What is the proper term for an infection in the mastoid air cells from the middle ear?

Answer 73

Mastoiditis

Question 74

What sign can indicate damage to the cribriform plate?

Answer 74

CSF fluid dripping through nose (halo effect can distinguish CSF)

Question 75

Where is the most common location for an infection to spread to from the nasal cavity?

Answer 75

Nasopharynx (acute pharyngitis)

Question 76

Where are the locations that are least common for an infection to spread from the nasal cavity to?

Answer 76

Anterior cranial fossa via cribriform plate and mastoid air cells from middle ear