Where is the middle turbinate located

Twitter Facebook. This Issue. June 22, LOEB, A. Access through your institution. Add or change institution. Save Preferences. Privacy Policy Terms of Use. Access your subscriptions. View revision history Report problem with Article. Citation, DOI and article data. Jones, J. Middle nasal concha. Reference article, Radiopaedia. Middle concha Middle turbinate Middle nasal turbinate. URL of Article. Gross anatomy The middle nasal concha consists of the medial surface of the labyrinth of ethmoid which is a thin basal lamella that descends from the undersurface of the cribriform plate and ends in a free, convoluted margin.

Variant anatomy concha bullosa paradoxical middle turbinate. Henry Gray, Susan Standring, B. Gray's Anatomy. ISBN: Related articles: Anatomy: Head and neck. Superiorly, it inserts along the lateral nasal wall and skull base. The frontal sinus, maxillary sinus, and anterior ethmoid sinus cells drain beneath the middle turbinate into the middle meatus.

Sometimes an ethmoid sinus cell can expand within the normally thin walls of the middle turbinate, and form an enlarged structure termed a concha bullosa. The superior turbinate is the smallest of the turbinates.

It resides just above and behind the middle turbinate, and also attaches to the skull base superiorly and nasal wall laterally. The sphenoid sinus and posterior ethmoid sinus cells drain into spaces between the nasal septum and superior turbinate called the sphenoethmoid recess.

The entire nasal cavity is lined with a mucosal surface composed of ciliated epithelial cells and many mucus producing glands. The moist surface of the nasal cavity is normally covered in a thin blanket of clear mucus, which serves to trap any particulates, allergens, or microbes and helps to humidify inspired air.

This mucus blanket is continuously propelled along the mucosal surface by millions of cilia that beat rhythmically in order to propel these trapped particles out of the nasal cavity.

In this way, the nasal cavity asks much like an environmental filter, warming and purifying inspired air before it passes to the lungs. The nasal cavity has a diverse blood supply arising from both the internal and external carotid arteries, which arise from the chest and neck. The anterior and posterior ethmoid arteries provide blood to the nose, and are both terminal branches of the internal carotid artery.

They supply the lateral and anterior one-third of the nasal cavity and posterior nasal septum, respectively. The internal maxillary artery arises from the external carotid artery and divides into several branches in the head and neck before entering the nasal cavity.

The largest branch is the sphenopalatine artery that enters the nasal cavity through a tunnel located along the lateral nasal wall near the back of the middle turbinate. This artery divides into two or more branches to supply the majority of the lateral nasal wall and nasal septum.