Skeletal system · Head and neck
Inferior nasal conchae !
The inferior nasal conchae are curled bones on the side walls of the nose, covered by thick lining; they warm, moisten and filter the air we breathe.
Official name: Inferior nasal concha bone
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What it is
Curled bones on the side walls of the nose, covered by a thick lining.
What it does
Warm, moisten and filter the air we breathe.
Key facts
- Joints with
- Maxilla, lacrimal, ethmoid, palatine
- Landmarks
- Inferior meatus below it receives the nasolacrimal duct
Relations
- Lateral
- Medial wall of the maxilla and the maxillary sinus; it attaches to the conchal crests of the maxilla and palatine bone
- Above
- Middle meatus and middle concha; its lacrimal and ethmoidal processes reach the lacrimal bone and the uncinate process
- Below
- Inferior meatus and the floor of the nasal cavity
- Medial
- Nasal septum, across the airway
- Behind
- Choana; the nasopharyngeal opening of the auditory tube lies just behind its posterior end
How to find it
Anterior rhinoscopy with a speculum shows its front end as a pink, rounded swelling on the lateral wall; its full length is seen with a nasal endoscope.
Examination
- Decongestant test: clear shrinkage after a topical decongestant suggests reversible mucosal swelling rather than bony enlargement
- Probe touch: the concha is pink and sensitive, while a nasal polyp is pale, grey and insensitive
On imaging
Coronal CT shows the size of its bone and soft tissue, the inferior meatus and nearby variants such as a pneumatised middle concha (concha bullosa).
Clinical notes
- Persistent obstruction is treated by inferior concha reduction (submucosal reduction or partial resection); over-aggressive removal is linked to empty nose syndrome
- The inferior meatus is the site for probing a blocked nasolacrimal duct in infants
- Its posterior end can enlarge and block the choana, mimicking a nasopharyngeal mass
Related conditions
Test yourself
Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it.
Which duct opens under the inferior nasal concha?
The nasolacrimal duct, in the inferior meatus under its front part, usually behind a mucosal fold (Hasner valve).
How does the inferior nasal concha differ from the superior and middle conchae?
It is the largest concha and a separate bone; the superior and middle conchae belong to the ethmoid bone.
What does clear shrinkage of the inferior nasal concha after a topical decongestant suggest?
Reversible mucosal swelling rather than bony enlargement.
Which complication is linked to over-aggressive removal of the inferior nasal concha?
Empty nose syndrome.
Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional.
Its names
- Official Latin (TA2)
- concha nasalis inferior TA2 740
- Official Spanish (DeCS)
- Cornetes Nasales DeCS D014420
- English (TA2)
- Inferior nasal concha bone
- Also called
- turbinates · inferior nasal turbinate · concha nasalis inferior ossea · os conchale nasale inferius · inferior nasal concha
Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); DeCS; Anatomy, Head and Neck, Nasal Concha; Anatomy, Head and Neck, Nasal Cavity.
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Representative model, for educational purposes only.
