a small and short presentation on nasal septum by a student.

2. Nasal septum divides the nasal cavity into
two halves
It is often deviated from the median plane –
makes the two halves of nasal cavity
asymmetrical
Most of the septum is lined by mucous
except the mobile part
The mobile part of septum is covered by skin
Nasal septum is partly bony and partly
cartilaginous

3. Different bones and cartilages of nasal septum

4. BONY PART
i. Perpendicular plate of ethmoid
ii. Vomer
iii.Nasal spine of frontal bones
iv.Sphenoidal crest
v. Nasal crest formed by nasal bones
vi.Nasal crest formed by palatine
process
of maxillae and palatine bones
PRINCIPLE BONES
ACCESSORY
BONES

5. Perpendicular Plate Of Ethmoid
It forms the antero superior part of
septum
Articulations
Upper margin – continuous with
cribriform plate
Anterosuperior – nasal spine of
frontal bone
Anteroinferior – septal cartilage
Posterosuperior- sphenoid
Psteroinferior - Vomer

6. Vomer
It forms the postero inferior part of the septum
Articulations
 Upper margin – Sphenoid rostrum
 Lower margin – Nasal crest by maxillae and palatine
 Posterior margin – Free; forms medial boundary of
chonchae
 Anterior margin – Perpendicular plate of ethmoid

7. CARTILAGENOUS PART
i. Septal Cartilage
 Forms the major anterior part of septum
 Fits in the angle between ethmoid and Vomer
ii. Septal Processes
 From major alar cartilage
 United together in the midline by fibrous tissue and form
coloumnella

8. NASAL SEPTUM

9. ARTERIAL SUPPLY
 Anterosuperior part –
Anterior ethmoidal
branch of opthalmic
artery
 Posteroinferior part –
Sphenopalatine and
Greater palatine
branches of Maxillary
artery
 Mobile part of septum –
Superior labial branch of
facial artery

10. KIESSELBACH’S PLEXUS
Little’s Area
Its an area in antero inferior part of the nasal septum just above the
vestibule. It is highly vascular where the septal branches of anterior
ethmoidal , sphenopalatine, greater palatine and superior labial
artery anastamose to form vascular kiesselbach’s plexus. This is the
most common area of epistaxis.

11. VENOUS DRAINAGE
 Antero superior part – Into superior opthalmic vein
 Postero inferior part – into pterygoid venous plexus
 Mobile part of septum – Into internal jugular vein
hrough facial vein
 Upper part of septum – Veins accompany the
olfactory nerves and drain into the inferior cerebral
veins

12. Lymphatic drainage
 From anterior part – into the submandibular
lymph nodes
 From intermediate and posterior parts – into the
reteropharyngeal lymph nodes
 From the upper part – Lymphatics along the
olfactory nerves drain into sub arachnoid spaces

13. NERVE SUPPLY

14. NERVE SUPPLY
 Olfactory Nerves – Upper part just below cribriform
plate in the olfactory zone
 Internal nasal branch of anterior ethmoidal–
Anterosuperior quadrant
 Anterosuperior alveolar nerve – anteroinferior
quadrant
 Posterior, superior, medial branches of
Pterygopalatine ganglion – Posterosuperior quadrant
 Nasopalatine – posteroinferior quadrant
 Nasal branch of greater palatine – posterior part

15. CLINICAL CORRELATION
Deviated Nasal Septum
 Important cause of nasal obstruction
 Males are affected more than females
 May occur due to trauma ,developmental error
etc.
 If DNS is severe, it causes mechanical obstruction
 Symptoms include difficulty in breathing,
headache, excessive snoring
 Corrected by submucous resection or septoplasty

16. SEPTOPLASTY
In septoplasty , the deviated septum is
reshaped and cartilage is removed.