[Durgical](https://durgical.com/en/) › [DurgiPedia](https://durgical.com/en/durgipedia/) › [Anatomy](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/) › [Head and neck](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/region/head-and-neck/) › Nasal cavity [Respiratory system](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/system/respiratory-system/) · [Head and neck](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/region/head-and-neck/) # Nasal cavity The nasal cavity is the pair of air passages inside the nose, split by the septum; it warms, moistens and filters air, and its roof holds the smell receptors. [See in 3D →](https://durgical.app/?from=durgipedia&lang=en#region=head_neck&select=nasal_cavity&side=r) Opens in the Durgical app, no sign-up needed. ## What it is The two air passages inside the nose, separated by the septum, with the conchae on the side walls. ## What it does Warms, moistens and filters air; the roof holds the smell receptors. ## Key points - Lateral wall openings: sphenoethmoidal recess ([sphenoid sinus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/sinus-of-sphenoid-bone/)), superior meatus (posterior ethmoid), middle meatus (frontal, maxillary, anterior ethmoid), inferior meatus (nasolacrimal duct) - Posterior epistaxis comes from sphenopalatine branches at the back of the cavity; it is less common than anterior bleeding but heavier and harder to control - The olfactory epithelium lines the roof and the upper septum and conchae; its nerve fibres pass up through the cribriform plate ## Key facts **Where** Nostrils to the choanae; septum in the middle, conchae on the side walls **Blood supply** Sphenopalatine (Kiesselbach's area with anterior ethmoidal, greater palatine, superior labial) **Nerve** Smell: I; general: V1, V2; glands: VII (pterygopalatine ganglion) **Function** Warms, humidifies and filters air; smell ## Relations **Above** Narrow roof formed mainly by the [cribriform plate](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/cribriform-plate/), under the anterior cranial fossa; the [nasal bones](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/nasal-bone/) in front and the sphenoid body behind **Below** Hard palate ([maxillae](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/maxilla/) and [palatine bones](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/palatine-bone/)), separating it from the mouth **Medial** [Nasal septum](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/nasal-septum/) **Lateral** Conchae and meatuses, with the [maxillary sinus](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/maxillary-sinus/) and the orbit beyond the wall **Behind** Choanae opening into the nasopharynx; the openings of the auditory tubes and the adenoids just behind **In front** Nasal vestibule and nostrils, lined by hair-bearing [skin](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/skin/) ## How to find it The vestibule and the front of the cavity are seen with a nasal speculum and a light (anterior rhinoscopy); the meatuses, the sinus openings and the nasopharynx are seen with a rigid or flexible endoscope. ## Examination - Anterior rhinoscopy: shows the front of the septum, the inferior concha, septal deviation and polyps - Cold metal plate (misting) test: the size of the fog patch under each nostril compares airflow between the sides - Smell testing with standard odour kits assesses olfaction after head trauma or viral infection ## On imaging Coronal sinus CT maps the meatuses and the ostiomeatal complex; MRI is used for tumours and to tell tumour from retained secretions. ## Clinical notes - In children, a one-sided foul-smelling discharge suggests a nasal foreign body - In adults, one-sided obstruction with bleeding is investigated for a tumour; nasopharyngeal carcinoma can present with blockage, nosebleeds and a middle ear effusion - Endoscopic endonasal approaches use the cavity as a corridor to the sinuses, the orbit and the skull base - Lymph from the front of the nose drains to the submandibular nodes; from the back of the nasal cavity and the sinuses, to the retropharyngeal and upper deep cervical nodes, which a posterior tumour reaches first ## Anatomical variants - Concha bullosa: an air cell inside the middle concha, common and usually silent; a large one can narrow the middle meatus and block sinus drainage - A paradoxical middle concha curves toward the lateral wall instead of the septum and can also narrow the middle meatus ## Development Each cavity forms from a nasal placode that sinks into a pit and deepens until the oronasal membrane ruptures, opening the primitive choanae; persistence of this membrane or bone gives choanal atresia. ## Related conditions - [Epistaxis (nosebleed)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/epistaxis/) - [Allergic rhinitis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/allergic-rhinitis/) - [Leishmaniasis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/leishmaniasis/) - [Inherited platelet function disorders (Glanzmann thrombasthenia, Bernard–Soulier syndrome)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/inherited-platelet-function-disorders/) - [Influenza (flu)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/influenza/) - [MRSA and other multidrug-resistant organism infections](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/mrsa-and-other-multidrug-resistant-organism-infections/) - [Aspergillosis](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/aspergillosis/) - [Common cold (acute viral rhinopharyngitis)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/common-cold/) - [Chronic rhinosinusitis and nasal polyps](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/chronic-rhinosinusitis-and-nasal-polyps/) - [Foreign bodies of the ear and nose](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/foreign-bodies-of-the-ear-and-nose/) - [Juvenile nasopharyngeal angiofibroma](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/juvenile-nasopharyngeal-angiofibroma/) - [Selective IgA deficiency](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/selective-iga-deficiency/) - [Eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Churg–Strauss)](https://durgical.com/en/conditions/eosinophilic-granulomatosis-with-polyangiitis/) ## Test yourself Think of the answer, then tap the question to see it. ## What opens into each meatus and recess of the lateral wall of the nasal cavity? Sphenoethmoidal recess: sphenoid sinus. Superior meatus: posterior ethmoid. Middle meatus: frontal, maxillary, anterior ethmoid. Inferior meatus: nasolacrimal duct. ## Where does posterior epistaxis in the nasal cavity come from, and how does it differ from anterior bleeding? From sphenopalatine branches at the back of the cavity; less common than anterior bleeding but heavier and harder to control. ## What does a one-sided foul-smelling nasal discharge suggest in a child? A foreign body in the nasal cavity. ## Why is one-sided nasal obstruction with bleeding investigated in an adult? To exclude a tumour; nasopharyngeal carcinoma can present with blockage, nosebleeds and a middle ear effusion. [Add to my cards (4)](https://durgical.app/estudiar/?add=/en/anatomy/nasal-cavity/) Educational information, not medical advice. For any symptom, see a health professional. ## Its names **Official Latin (TA2)** cavitas nasi TA2 3165 **Official Spanish (DeCS)** Cavidad Nasal DeCS D009296 **English (TA2)** Nasal cavity **Also called** cavum nasi ## Related - [Tear drainage](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/lacrimal-canaliculus/) - [Maxillary artery](https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/maxillary-artery/) Sources: Terminologia Anatomica (TA2); [DeCS](https://decs.bvsalud.org/es/ths/resource/?id=9491); [Anatomy, Head and Neck, Nasal Cavity](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544232/); Tratado de anatomía humana (9.ª ed.), tomo II, Libro IV Angiología, sección 5: Linfáticos. ## **Spotted a mistake?** We are always improving for the community. Tell us what is wrong and our team will review it. Report a mistake Representative model, for educational purposes only. --- Source: https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/nasal-cavity/ License: CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Cite as: DurgiPedia (durgical.com), https://durgical.com/en/anatomy/nasal-cavity/