The effect of air currents on the naso-respiratory mucosa.

The direction of air currents through the nose have been studied by many investigators. However, in injury of the nose followed by deformities, a marked change in the nasal configuration occurs. Many patients will present localized areas of crusting and attention is not drawn to this condition until the patient is seen with an epistaxis. In this study, we are interested in the character of the mucosa and their changes as affected by long-term injury from the trauma of the inspiratory and expiratory air currents, which, on sniffling or snorting, may reach hurricane speeds. In the study of the naso-respiratory mucosa from these areas by electron-microspy, it was found metaplastic respiratory epithelium where the cells have undergone mucinous transformation and areas exposed to air jets how metaplastic changes followed by erosion. We wish to thank Nikolajs Cauna, M.D. for his assistance and making available the micrographs used in this paper.