Source: Richard Glickman-Simon, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health and Community Medicine, Tufts University School of Medicine, MA

This video provides an overview of sinus, nose, and throat examinations. The demonstration begins with a brief overview of the anatomy of the region. The upper third of the nose is bony, and the bottom two-thirds are cartilaginous. Air entering the nares passes through the nasal vestibules and into the narrow passageway between the nasal septum medially and the bony turbinates laterally. Beneath each curving turbinate is a groove or meatus. The nasolacrimal duct and most of the air-filled paranasal sinuses drain into the inferior and middle meatuses, respectively. Of the three sets of paranasal sinuses, only the maxillary and frontal can be readily examined. A continuous, highly vascular mucosa lines the entire nasal cavity and sinuses.

Figure 1. Anatomy of the Nose.

Figure 2. Location of the Major Sinuses.

Muscular folds of the lips mark the entrance to the oral cavity. The pinkish gingiva, or gums, attach firmly to the teeth and adjacent bone into which the teeth embed. The buccal mucosa lines the inner cheeks, where the Stensen duct drains the parotid glands into small papillae near the upper second molars. Small, red papillae cover the dorsal surface of the tongue along with a whitish coat of varying thickness. The midline lingual frenulum connects the undersurface of the tongue to the floor of the mouth, where the Wharton duct drains the submandibular glands into papillae on either side. Arching over the tongue are the anterior and posterior pillars of the soft palate and midline uvula. If present, the tonsils can be seen protruding bilaterally between the pillars. The bony hard palate rises anteriorly above the soft palate. The pharynx lies posteriorly behind the soft palate and tongue.

Figure 3. Anatomy of the Oral Cavity.

Figure 4. Pharyngeal Regions.