Nasal septal turbinate: cadaveric study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the importance of its location, the functional behavior of the nasal septal turbinate (NST) is still not completely understood. Basic histological knowledge is still lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the histological features of the NST and to compare its morphometric features to those of the adjacent nasal septum and the inferior and middle turbinates. METHODS: The study included 50 fresh cadavers. Excisional biopsy specimens of the NST with adjacent posterior septum were collected. In addition, mucosal and submucosal biopsy specimens were taken of the inferior and middle turbinates. Morphometric analysis was performed on five different tissue types: glandular elements, connective tissue stroma, arterial structures, and capillary or venous sinusoids. RESULTS: The mean proportion of venous sinusoids was statistically lower in the nasal septum and NST than in the inferior and middle turbinate. The mean proportion of glandular tissues was higher in the NST than in other regions of the nasal cavity. The mean proportion of arterial tissue was lower in the nasal septum and the NST. Significantly fewer capillary elements were found in the inferior and middle turbinates than in the nasal septum and NST. The mean proportion of connective tissues was lower in the NST than in other regions of the nasal cavity. CONCLUSION: The similar histopathological cell distribution in the middle and inferior turbinate supported a function as an erectile organ, but the findings for the NST pointed to different functional properties of this region.

Concha bullosa and septal deviation.

The aim of this study was to investigate the incidence of concha bullosa (CB) in cases with septal deviation (SD), correlation between the angle of deviation and degree of pneumatization and compare these correlations with qualitative and quantitative methods. We retrospectively searched our radiology database for all paranasal sinus computed tomography (CT) findings for 672 patients. All scans were grouped according to the presence and side of SD and/or CB. SD angles and pneumatization degree of the CB were measured with appropriate method. These findings were also classified according to the initial defined qualitative method. Generally, CB and SD incidences were 31.52 and 47.77%, respectively. CB ratio in SD patients was 45.34% whereas ratio in non-SD patients was 18.95%. Mean deviation angle of the isolated SD group (15.24 +/- 5.03) was found higher than both deviation angle of the unilateral CB + SD group (13.16 +/- 4.19) and bilateral CB + SD group (11.15 +/- 3.73) (P = 0.002, P = 0.0001 respectively). In conclusion, CB may tend to develop bilaterally in normal, non-deviated nose. However, the increasing incidence of unilateral CB, especially contralateral ones, in septal deviated patients suggested that SD may prevent the development of ipsilateral CB.

Efficiency of corticosteroid treatment in resolution of bilateral abducens paralysis after head trauma.

A rare case of posttraumatic bilateral abducens palsy is presented. A 17-year-old male patient referred to our clinic because of complaints of diplopia, difficulty in opening his mouth, pain in the face, dyspnea, and chest pain after head trauma from a motor vehicle accident. The patient was not able to abduct eyes bilaterally, and diplopia occurred in the lateral gaze. All other extraocular movement was intact. He also had a mandibular fracture and bilateral pneumothorax. Computed tomography scan of the cranium showed no intracranial or extracranial hemorrhage, no mass effect, and no edema. No abnormalities were seen in the orbits, sinuses, skull base, and calvarium. For the treatment of sixth cranial nerve palsy, we applied corticosteroid therapy and waited for spontaneous recovery. During follow-up, at 3 months after discharge, he showed marked improvement in his ocular mobility and alignment without any residual limitation of abduction bilaterally. A bilateral sixth nerve palsy is rarely seen after a head trauma without cranial pathologic findings, and corticosteroid therapy may have beneficial effects during treatment besides spontaneous resolution.